19990320002259A

ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES IN THE CAJON PASS AND WAS DESTROYED. THE 2 POB SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES. (.19) ON MARCH 20, 1999, ABOUT 0930 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-28-161, N2529W, WAS DESTROYED DURING COLLISION WITH MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN IN A MOUNTAIN PASS (CAJON PASS) NEAR LYTLE CREEK, CALIFORNIA. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND THE PASSENGER, WHO HOLDS A STUDENT CERTIFICATE, BOTH RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. THE FLIGHT WAS OPERATED BY AERODROME AIRCRAFT RENTAL, REDLANDS, CALIFORNIA, UNDER 14 CFR PART 91, AND WAS RENTED BY THE PILOT. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED IN THE AREA ABOUT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT REDLANDS ABOUT 0915 AND WAS DESTINED FOR AGUA DULCE, CALIFORNIA. ACCORDING TO THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA), THERE WAS NO RECORD OF A PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING. THE FLIGHT SCHOOL OPERATOR STATED THAT THE WEATHER AT REDLANDS WAS GOOD BUT LOOKED POOR TOWARDS CAJON PASS, WHICH CAN BE SEEN ABOUT 18 MILES FROM THE FLIGHT SCHOOL OFFICE. THE OPERATOR ALSO STATED THAT HE ADVISED THE PILOT TO STAY OVERI-15 AND AWAY FROM CLOUDS. HOWEVER, HE TOLD THE PILOT IF HE WERE TO GET INTO THE CLOUDS HE WAS TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE 180-DEGREE TURN BACK TO THE AREA THAT WAS CLEAR OF CLOUDS. AT 0942, THE CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL, SAN BERNARDINO OFFICE, RECEIVED A CELL PHONE CALL FROM A MOTORIST WHO WAS STOPPED ON THE SIDE OF A RAILROAD RIGHT-OF-WAY PHOTOGRAPHING TRAINS. HE REPORTED SEEING AN AIRCRAFT FLY IN AND OUT OF CLOUDS, THEN START A SLIGHT LEFT TURN AND DESCEND ABOUT A 45-DEGREE ANGLE INTO THE MOUNTAIN. HE RETURNED TO HIS CAR AND DIALED 911. SUBSEQUENTLY, HE LED FOREST SERVICE PERSONNEL TO THE SITE. HE ALSO REPORTED FOG AND LOW CLOUDS IN THE AREA. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED ABOUT 22 MILES WEST-NORTHWEST OF THE REDLANDS AIRPORT ABOUT 3,810 FEET MSL. GROUND SCARS AND DISTURBED VEGATATOPM WAS FOUND ON A MAGNETIC BEARING OF 030 DEGREES. THE SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY SHERIFF'S AERO BUREAU WAS NOTIFIED AT 1019 OF THE ACCIDENT AND ATTEMPTED TO ACCESS THE AREA OF THE ACCIDENT BY HELICOPTER BUT WERE UNABLE DUE TO CLOUD COVER. AT 1049, THE AIR SEARCH WAS CALLED OFF PENDING WEATHER IMPROVEMENT. (.4)THE PRIVATE PILOT AND STUDENT PILOT PASSENGER DEPARTED IN VISUAL FLIGHT CONDITIONS FOR A PERSONAL CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT TO ANOTHER AIRPORT. THE FLIGHT WAS TO TAKE THEM THROUGH A MOUNTAINOUS PASS THAT WAS OBSERVED FROM THE FLIGHT SCHOOL OFFICE TO BE OBSCURED IN CLOUDS. THE FLIGHT SCHOOL OPERATOR STATED THAT WHILE FUELING THE AIRPLANE THEY COULD SEE A STORM COMING AND ADVISED THE PILOT TO STAY OVER THE HIGHWAY AND TO AVOID THE CLOUDS. HE TOLD THE PILOT IF HE INADVERTENTLY GOT INTO THE CLOUDS HE WAS TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE 180-DEGREE TURN BACK TO WHERE IT WAS CLEAR. A GROUND WITNESS OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE AT THE BASE OF THE CLOUDS, WHERE IT BANKED LEFT AND FLEW FROM HIS VIEW. HE SUBSEQUENTLY HEARD AN IMPACT NOISE. THE WITNESS RELOCATED HIS POSITION AND WAS ABLE TO SEE THE CRASH SITE. HE HIKED BACK TO HIS VEHICLE AND CALLED AUTHORITIES. (-23)AT APPROXIMATELY 915 AM ON MARCH 20, 1999, A PIPER PA-28, AIRCRAFT N2529W, DEPARTED RELANDS MUNICIPAL AIRPORT ENROUTE TO AGUA DULCE AIRPORT. ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT WAS THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMIT^, AND A PASSENGER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THERE WAS NO FLIGHT PLAN FILED NOR WAS AN OFFICAL WEATH ER BRIEFING OBTAINED. THIS AIRCRAFT WAS FLYING LOW, WITH A LOW CLOUD COVER OVER THE HILLTOPS. THIS AIRCRAFT FLEW THROUGH THE CAJON PASS DURING IMC CONDITIONS AND IMPACTED RISING TERRAIN. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED AND THE PILOT AND PASSENGER SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES.