What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft crashed under unknown circumstancs. ELT did not activate. Destroyed by fire. (.19) on March 22,1999, about 1330 hours pacific standard time, a Cessna 152, N67821, was destroyed during a collision with mountainous terrain at rancho cucamonga, California. The aircraft was operated by cableair, Upland, California, under 14 CFR part 91, and rented by the pilot for a local area personal flight. The private pilot, the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated at Cable Airport in Upland, about 1300. A witness, who was located about 1/2 mile south of the accident site at the time of the occurrence, was interviewed. He stated that airplanes routinely fly in and out of the canyon area and he was familiar with them. This aircraft caught his attention as it was descending northeast at 45-degree angle with high engine power. The witness said the airplane was not spinning or turning during the descent. He lost sight of it as it passed behind terrain. He described the colors of the aircraft and stated that he did not realize that it had crashed. The wreckage was located about 5 miles northeast of the Cable Airport in cucamonga canyon on a 60-degree canyon wall about 3,000 feet MSL. (.4) the 21-year-OLD private pilot was rated for airplane single engine land, sea, and instrument. He was an engineering student in his senior year, and his goal was to become an aerospace engineer. The pilot had an eye condition with 2 prior extraocular muscle surgeries. He rented an airplane for a local area flight. Witnesses reported seeing the airplane descending about 45 degrees at high engine power into mountainous terrain. A sheriff's helicopter pilot reported, about 15 minutes after the accident that the weather at the accident site was clear with 10 miles visibility and the wind was from the southwest (up canyon). The airplane collided with a 60-degree canyon wall near a location called 'party rock point.' The tachometer needle was imprinted onto the instrument face at 2,650 RPM; the redline is 2,550 RPM. The wing structure was accordioned from leading edge to trailing edge, as was the fuselage. No mechanical discrepancies were found with the airplane.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCS. ELT DID NOT ACTIVATE. DESTROYED BY FIRE. (.19) ON MARCH 22,1999, ABOUT 1330 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 152, N67821, WAS DESTROYED DURING A COLLISION WITH MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN AT RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATED BY CABLEAIR, UPLAND, CALIFORNIA, UNDER 14 CFR PART 91, AND RENTED BY THE PILOT FOR A LOCAL AREA PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE PRIVATE PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT CABLE AIRPORT IN UPLAND, ABOUT 1300. A WITNESS, WHO WAS LOCATED ABOUT 1/2 MILE SOUTH OF THE ACCIDENT SITE AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE, WAS INTERVIEWED. HE STATED THAT AIRPLANES ROUTINELY FLY IN AND OUT OF THE CANYON AREA AND HE WAS FAMILIAR WITH THEM. THIS AIRCRAFT CAUGHT HIS ATTENTION AS IT WAS DESCENDING NORTHEAST AT 45-DEGREE ANGLE WITH HIGH ENGINE POWER. THE WITNESS SAID THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT SPINNING OR TURNING DURING THE DESCENT. HE LOST SIGHT OF IT AS IT PASSED BEHIND TERRAIN. HE DESCRIBED THE COLORS OF THE AIRCRAFT AND STATED THAT HE DID NOT REALIZE THAT IT HAD CRASHED. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED ABOUT 5 MILES NORTHEAST OF THE CABLE AIRPORT IN CUCAMONGA CANYON ON A 60-DEGREE CANYON WALL ABOUT 3,000 FEET MSL. (.4) THE 21-YEAR-OLD PRIVATE PILOT WAS RATED FOR AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE LAND, SEA, AND INSTRUMENT. HE WAS AN ENGINEERING STUDENT IN HIS SENIOR YEAR, AND HIS GOAL WAS TO BECOME AN AEROSPACE ENGINEER. THE PILOT HAD AN EYE CONDITION WITH 2 PRIOR EXTRAOCULAR MUSCLE SURGERIES. HE RENTED AN AIRPLANE FOR A LOCAL AREA FLIGHT. WITNESSES REPORTED SEEING THE AIRPLANE DESCENDING ABOUT 45 DEGREES AT HIGH ENGINE POWER INTO MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. A SHERIFF'S HELICOPTER PILOT REPORTED, ABOUT 15 MINUTES AFTER THE ACCIDENT THAT THE WEATHER AT THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS CLEAR WITH 10 MILES VISIBILITY AND THE WIND WAS FROM THE SOUTHWEST (UP CANYON). THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH A 60-DEGREE CANYON WALL NEAR A LOCATION CALLED 'PARTY ROCK POINT.' THE TACHOMETER NEEDLE WAS IMPRINTED ONTO THE INSTRUMENT FACE AT 2,650 RPM; THE REDLINE IS 2,550 RPM. THE WING STRUCTURE WAS ACCORDIONED FROM LEADING EDGE TO TRAILING EDGE, AS WAS THE FUSELAGE. NO MECHANICAL DISCREPANCIES WERE FOUND WITH THE AIRPLANE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.