What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Afct departed van nuys en route to palm springs with another T-28 acft, N128BJ, 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 injuried. VFR conditions prevailed for the personal flight that dparted 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 about 5,000 feet AGL toward the accident site. The accident site in in arid mountainous terrain at 5,300 feet MSL. The wreckage debris field, oriented south to north, is approxiamtely 750 feet long and 75 feet wide. At the south end are two areas of disturbed dirt and rocks separa ted by about 200 feet along the wreckage path. According to national park service rangers, 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. (.4)on febuary 4, 1999, about 1440 hours PST, a north American T-28B aircraft, N628B, was destroyed when the aircraft impacted mountinous terrain during cruise flight near Joshua tree, California. The commerical licensed pilot was fatally injuried. VFR conditions prevailed and no flight paln was filed for the personal fligth that was operated by the owner under 14 CFR part 91. The flight departed from van nuys, California, at 1351, and was destined for thermal, California. The aicraft was flying ina two-aircraft formation. The other aircraft, another T-28, was N128BJ. The accident file for the aircraft is LAX99FA090. According to the federal aviation administration (FAA) southwest region quality assurance office, on departure from van nuys, N128BJ was the flight leader and N628B was the wingman. After depa rture from van nuys there was no further radio communication with any FAA facility. An observer on the ground at yucca valley airport, 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 observer reported losing sight of the aircraft in the ragged cloud bases against the mountains southeast of the airport.
As the FAA filed it
AFCT DEPARTED VAN NUYS EN ROUTE TO PALM SPRINGS WITH ANOTHER T-28 ACFT, N128BJ, 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 INJURIED. VFR CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT THAT DPARTED 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 ABOUT 5,000 FEET AGL TOWARD THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE ACCIDENT SITE IN IN ARID MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN AT 5,300 FEET MSL. THE WRECKAGE DEBRIS FIELD, ORIENTED SOUTH TO NORTH, IS APPROXIAMTELY 750 FEET LONG AND 75 FEET WIDE. AT THE SOUTH END ARE TWO AREAS OF DISTURBED DIRT AND ROCKS SEPARA TED BY ABOUT 200 FEET ALONG THE WRECKAGE PATH. ACCORDING TO NATIONAL PARK SERVICE RANGERS, 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. (.4)ON FEBUARY 4, 1999, ABOUT 1440 HOURS PST, A NORTH AMERICAN T-28B AIRCRAFT, N628B, WAS DESTROYED WHEN THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED MOUNTINOUS TERRAIN DURING CRUISE FLIGHT NEAR JOSHUA TREE, CALIFORNIA. THE COMMERICAL LICENSED PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURIED. VFR CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PALN WAS FILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGTH THAT WAS OPERATED BY THE OWNER UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED FROM VAN NUYS, CALIFORNIA, AT 1351, AND WAS DESTINED FOR THERMAL, CALIFORNIA. THE AICRAFT WAS FLYING INA TWO-AIRCRAFT FORMATION. THE OTHER AIRCRAFT, ANOTHER T-28, WAS N128BJ. THE ACCIDENT FILE FOR THE AIRCRAFT IS LAX99FA090. ACCORDING TO THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) SOUTHWEST REGION QUALITY ASSURANCE OFFICE, ON DEPARTURE FROM VAN NUYS, N128BJ WAS THE FLIGHT LEADER AND N628B WAS THE WINGMAN. AFTER DEPA RTURE FROM VAN NUYS THERE WAS NO FURTHER RADIO COMMUNICATION WITH ANY FAA FACILITY. AN OBSERVER ON THE GROUND AT YUCCA VALLEY AIRPORT, 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 OBSERVER REPORTED LOSING SIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT IN THE RAGGED CLOUD BASES AGAINST THE MOUNTAINS SOUTHEAST OF THE AIRPORT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.