What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft departed van nuys en route to palm springs with another T-28 acft N628B, on 2/4/99. Both acft crashed under unknown circumstances at the 5,813 foot level of quaile peak 15 miles NE of palm springs. The wreckage was located on 2/6/99, the 2 pilots suffered fatal injuries. Both acft were destroyed. Other circumstances are unknown. (.19)on February 4, 1999, about 1440 hours pacific standard time, two north American T-28 aircraft, N128BJ and N628B, operating as a flight of two aircraft, were destroyed when they impacted terrain during cruise flight near Joshua tree, California. The two commercial licensed pilot were fatally injured. VFR conditions prevailed for the personal flight that departed van nuys, California at 1351 destined for thermal, California. An observer on the ground 13 miles northwest of the accident site reported seeing a flight of two T-28 aircraft at 1430 flying southeast bound at about 5,000 feet AGL toward the accident site. The accident site is in arid mountainous terrain at 5,300 feet MSL. The wreckage debris field, oriented south to north, is approximately 750 feet long and 75 feet wide. At the south end are two areas of disturbed dirt and rocks sepa rated by about 200 feet along the wreckage path. According to national park service rangers, weather near the accident site at the ime consisted of overcast clouds with the tops of the mountains intermittently obscured in clouds, snow, and light rain. Scattered clouds locally obscured lower terrain. (.4)the pilot of the lead aircraft in the two-aircraft formation received a preflight weather briefing that included an AIRMET for mountain obscuration throughout the intended area of flight. The area forecast was for broken ceilings at 1,500 to 2,500 feet and a second broken layer at 3,000 to 5,000 feet. When the aircraft did not arrive at their destination, a search was initiated and the two airplanes were found on a mountain slope at 5,300 feet MSL. The lead aircraft impacted the slope about 250 feet below a ridgeline. The wingman impacted on the same slope approximately 220 feet further up the slope and offset 30 feet to the right. Park service rangers reported that weather near the accident site at the time consisted of overcast clouds with the tops of the mountains intermittently obscured in clouds, snow , and light rain. Scattered clouds locally obscured lower terrain. The nearest weather reporting point, 17 miles distant, reported an overcast cloud layer at 5,300 feet MSL.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT DEPARTED VAN NUYS EN ROUTE TO PALM SPRINGS WITH ANOTHER T-28 ACFT N628B, ON 2/4/99. BOTH ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES AT THE 5,813 FOOT LEVEL OF QUAILE PEAK 15 MILES NE OF PALM SPRINGS. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED ON 2/6/99, THE 2 PILOTS SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES. BOTH ACFT WERE DESTROYED. OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.19)ON FEBRUARY 4, 1999, ABOUT 1440 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, TWO NORTH AMERICAN T-28 AIRCRAFT, N128BJ AND N628B, OPERATING AS A FLIGHT OF TWO AIRCRAFT, WERE DESTROYED WHEN THEY IMPACTED TERRAIN DURING CRUISE FLIGHT NEAR JOSHUA TREE, CALIFORNIA. THE TWO COMMERCIAL LICENSED PILOT WERE FATALLY INJURED. VFR CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT THAT DEPARTED VAN NUYS, CALIFORNIA AT 1351 DESTINED FOR THERMAL, CALIFORNIA. AN OBSERVER ON THE GROUND 13 MILES NORTHWEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE REPORTED SEEING A FLIGHT OF TWO T-28 AIRCRAFT AT 1430 FLYING SOUTHEAST BOUND AT ABOUT 5,000 FEET AGL TOWARD THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE ACCIDENT SITE IS IN ARID MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN AT 5,300 FEET MSL. THE WRECKAGE DEBRIS FIELD, ORIENTED SOUTH TO NORTH, IS APPROXIMATELY 750 FEET LONG AND 75 FEET WIDE. AT THE SOUTH END ARE TWO AREAS OF DISTURBED DIRT AND ROCKS SEPA RATED BY ABOUT 200 FEET ALONG THE WRECKAGE PATH. ACCORDING TO NATIONAL PARK SERVICE RANGERS, WEATHER NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE AT THE IME CONSISTED OF OVERCAST CLOUDS WITH THE TOPS OF THE MOUNTAINS INTERMITTENTLY OBSCURED IN CLOUDS, SNOW, AND LIGHT RAIN. SCATTERED CLOUDS LOCALLY OBSCURED LOWER TERRAIN. (.4)THE PILOT OF THE LEAD AIRCRAFT IN THE TWO-AIRCRAFT FORMATION RECEIVED A PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING THAT INCLUDED AN AIRMET FOR MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION THROUGHOUT THE INTENDED AREA OF FLIGHT. THE AREA FORECAST WAS FOR BROKEN CEILINGS AT 1,500 TO 2,500 FEET AND A SECOND BROKEN LAYER AT 3,000 TO 5,000 FEET. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT ARRIVE AT THEIR DESTINATION, A SEARCH WAS INITIATED AND THE TWO AIRPLANES WERE FOUND ON A MOUNTAIN SLOPE AT 5,300 FEET MSL. THE LEAD AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE SLOPE ABOUT 250 FEET BELOW A RIDGELINE. THE WINGMAN IMPACTED ON THE SAME SLOPE APPROXIMATELY 220 FEET FURTHER UP THE SLOPE AND OFFSET 30 FEET TO THE RIGHT. PARK SERVICE RANGERS REPORTED THAT WEATHER NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE AT THE TIME CONSISTED OF OVERCAST CLOUDS WITH THE TOPS OF THE MOUNTAINS INTERMITTENTLY OBSCURED IN CLOUDS, SNOW , AND LIGHT RAIN. SCATTERED CLOUDS LOCALLY OBSCURED LOWER TERRAIN. THE NEAREST WEATHER REPORTING POINT, 17 MILES DISTANT, REPORTED AN OVERCAST CLOUD LAYER AT 5,300 FEET MSL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.