What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The student pilot, whom records show did not make use of FAA or duats weather briefing services prior to departure, encountered deteriorating weather while en route from king city, California, to aurora, Oregon. Upon encountering the weather, the pilot initiated a descent through 'multiple cloud layers' in order to attempt to continue on to his planned destination. Near the last part of the descent, while entering an area of mountainous/hilly terrain, the aircraft collided with trees on a densely forested hillside. Witness reported clouds, low ceilings, and rain showers in the area at the time of the accident. (23)privacy data omitted departed mesa del ray, king city, California on Sunday, August 29, 1999, at approximately 1000AM. He was acting as the pilot-in-command of n 747CC, a Cessna-210. The flight was detined for the aurora, Oregon airport. privacy data omittedObtained a weather briefing from the oakland fss. He did not fil a flight plan but did untilize flight following services enroute. On desecent into the airport area, he contacted eugene airport control. The ceiling there was at 1200 feet. He was offered an IFR clearence, but declined it. He continued a VFR descent into IFR conditions. Approximately two minutes later, he was advised he was descending below radar coverage.privacy data omittedChanged to a VFR transponder code and changed frequencies. A minute later, the aircraft struck the top of a hill and was destroyed. The impact was fatal to all three occupants.
As the FAA filed it
THE STUDENT PILOT, WHOM RECORDS SHOW DID NOT MAKE USE OF FAA OR DUATS WEATHER BRIEFING SERVICES PRIOR TO DEPARTURE, ENCOUNTERED DETERIORATING WEATHER WHILE EN ROUTE FROM KING CITY, CALIFORNIA, TO AURORA, OREGON. UPON ENCOUNTERING THE WEATHER, THE PILOT INITIATED A DESCENT THROUGH 'MULTIPLE CLOUD LAYERS' IN ORDER TO ATTEMPT TO CONTINUE ON TO HIS PLANNED DESTINATION. NEAR THE LAST PART OF THE DESCENT, WHILE ENTERING AN AREA OF MOUNTAINOUS/HILLY TERRAIN, THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH TREES ON A DENSELY FORESTED HILLSIDE. WITNESS REPORTED CLOUDS, LOW CEILINGS, AND RAIN SHOWERS IN THE AREA AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. (23)^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DEPARTED MESA DEL RAY, KING CITY, CALIFORNIA ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 29, 1999, AT APPROXIMATELY 1000AM. HE WAS ACTING AS THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND OF N 747CC, A CESSNA-210. THE FLIGHT WAS DETINED FOR THE AURORA, OREGON AIRPORT. ^PRIVACY DATA^OBTAINED A WEATHER BRIEFING FROM THE OAKLAND FSS. HE DID NOT FIL A FLIGHT PLAN BUT DID UNTILIZE FLIGHT FOLLOWING SERVICES ENROUTE. ON DESECENT INTO THE AIRPORT AREA, HE CONTACTED EUGENE AIRPORT CONTROL. THE CEILING THERE WAS AT 1200 FEET. HE WAS OFFERED AN IFR CLEARENCE, BUT DECLINED IT. HE CONTINUED A VFR DESCENT INTO IFR CONDITIONS. APPROXIMATELY TWO MINUTES LATER, HE WAS ADVISED HE WAS DESCENDING BELOW RADAR COVERAGE.^PRIVACY DATA^CHANGED TO A VFR TRANSPONDER CODE AND CHANGED FREQUENCIES. A MINUTE LATER, THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE TOP OF A HILL AND WAS DESTROYED. THE IMPACT WAS FATAL TO ALL THREE OCCUPANTS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N747CC · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.