What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On February 18,1999, about 1745 hours pacific standard time, a Beech 95-B55, N125TW, was destroyed in an in-flight collision with mountainous terrain near Coalinga, California. The private pilot and pilot rated passenger were fatally injured. The personal flight was being operated under 14 CFR part 91 and no flight plan was filed. The nearest weather reporting facility is 33 miles to the east; however, local area residents reported instrument meteorological conditions with rain and wind existed near the accident site. The flight originated at sacramento, California, at 1649 on the day of the accident and was destined for fullerton, California. The aircraft was receiving VFR advisories from oakland ARTCC. The aircraft was lost from radio and radar coverage at 14,500 feet MSL, about 20 miles southeast of the panoche VOR. Search efforts were initiated and the wreckage was subsequently found February 19 near santa rita peak about 3,500 feet MSL. The GPS coordinates of the accident site were 36 degrees 23.75 minutes north latitude by 120 degrees 38.01 minutes west longitude. Prior to departure from the sacramento executive airport the pilot purchased 58.0 gallons of fuel and obtained a preflight weather briefing from the federal aviation administration rancho murrieta flight service station for the route of flight. According to the briefing VFR flight was not recommended. Airmets for turbulence and mountain obscuration were in effect for the area with pilot reports of icing in the fresno area. (.4)the pilot and passenger had flown to northern California for dental work to be performed on the pilot. On the return trip they were receiving VFR advisories from ATC. They were maintaining VFR on top at 14,500 feet MSL. A voice thought to be the passenger, who was a rated pilot, transmitted 'we're in big trouble up here' followed by other incomplete or unreadable transmissions. The airplane was lost from radar and radio contact. The wreckage was located in mountainous terrain. The airplane had collided with terrain while in a near vertical attitude. The pilot had obtained a preflight weather briefing prior to flight, and VFR was not recommended. A formal weather study indicated that the airplane most likely flew into clouds. Conditions were conducive for light to moderate rime icing in clouds at the a irplane's flight altitude. The time was 11 minutes before officical sunset in cloudy conditions.
As the FAA filed it
ON FEBRUARY 18,1999, ABOUT 1745 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A BEECH 95-B55, N125TW, WAS DESTROYED IN AN IN-FLIGHT COLLISION WITH MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN NEAR COALINGA, CALIFORNIA. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND PILOT RATED PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS BEING OPERATED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE NEAREST WEATHER REPORTING FACILITY IS 33 MILES TO THE EAST; HOWEVER, LOCAL AREA RESIDENTS REPORTED INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS WITH RAIN AND WIND EXISTED NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, AT 1649 ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT AND WAS DESTINED FOR FULLERTON, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RECEIVING VFR ADVISORIES FROM OAKLAND ARTCC. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOST FROM RADIO AND RADAR COVERAGE AT 14,500 FEET MSL, ABOUT 20 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE PANOCHE VOR. SEARCH EFFORTS WERE INITIATED AND THE WRECKAGE WAS SUBSEQUENTLY FOUND FEBRUARY 19 NEAR SANTA RITA PEAK ABOUT 3,500 FEET MSL. THE GPS COORDINATES OF THE ACCIDENT SITE WERE 36 DEGREES 23.75 MINUTES NORTH LATITUDE BY 120 DEGREES 38.01 MINUTES WEST LONGITUDE. PRIOR TO DEPARTURE FROM THE SACRAMENTO EXECUTIVE AIRPORT THE PILOT PURCHASED 58.0 GALLONS OF FUEL AND OBTAINED A PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING FROM THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION RANCHO MURRIETA FLIGHT SERVICE STATION FOR THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT. ACCORDING TO THE BRIEFING VFR FLIGHT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED. AIRMETS FOR TURBULENCE AND MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION WERE IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA WITH PILOT REPORTS OF ICING IN THE FRESNO AREA. (.4)THE PILOT AND PASSENGER HAD FLOWN TO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FOR DENTAL WORK TO BE PERFORMED ON THE PILOT. ON THE RETURN TRIP THEY WERE RECEIVING VFR ADVISORIES FROM ATC. THEY WERE MAINTAINING VFR ON TOP AT 14,500 FEET MSL. A VOICE THOUGHT TO BE THE PASSENGER, WHO WAS A RATED PILOT, TRANSMITTED 'WE'RE IN BIG TROUBLE UP HERE' FOLLOWED BY OTHER INCOMPLETE OR UNREADABLE TRANSMISSIONS. THE AIRPLANE WAS LOST FROM RADAR AND RADIO CONTACT. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. THE AIRPLANE HAD COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN WHILE IN A NEAR VERTICAL ATTITUDE. THE PILOT HAD OBTAINED A PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING PRIOR TO FLIGHT, AND VFR WAS NOT RECOMMENDED. A FORMAL WEATHER STUDY INDICATED THAT THE AIRPLANE MOST LIKELY FLEW INTO CLOUDS. CONDITIONS WERE CONDUCIVE FOR LIGHT TO MODERATE RIME ICING IN CLOUDS AT THE A IRPLANE'S FLIGHT ALTITUDE. THE TIME WAS 11 MINUTES BEFORE OFFICICAL SUNSET IN CLOUDY CONDITIONS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.