What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On 10/26/2000, at 1058L, a Cessna 340A, N4347C, was destroyed when the aircraft impacted mountainous terrain near Julian, CA. The airline transport certificated pilot and the commercial certificated second pilot were fatally injured. About 4 minutes prior to the loss of radar contact, while en route between the oceanside VORTAC and the Julian VORTAC (radio navigational aides), the flight was handed off to the los angeles air route traffic control center. The pilot checked in with the center at 11,000 feet and, a short time later, asked what altitude the center showed him to be at on radar. The controller replied that he was in the tops of the clouds and needed to go up about 1,000 feet. The controller cleared the aircraft to climb and maintain VFR conditions on top and, a short time later, radar contact was lost. The accident site consisted of two debris areas. The first area contained widely scattered parts of the wing tips and tip fuel tanks. Numerous tree tops were broken off giving the appearance of initial contact with a stationary object. The second debris area (1500 ft further east) consisted of the inboard wings and fuselage; fire consumed most of the wreakage. The NTSB representative was investigator rich parker of the los angeles office. (.4) during en route cruise flight at an assigned altitude of 11,000 feet (MSL) in instrument meteorological conditions, the airplane impacted mountainous terrain at 5,300 feet, in wings-level, descending flight. During the final 12 minutes of the flight (from 1046 to 1058 pacific daylight time), recorded military search radar height values (primary radar returns) show the aircraft in a steady descent from 11,000 feet to 5,600 feet, where radar contact was lost. During the same time interval, recorded mode c altitudes received at los angeles air traffic control center (center) and socal terminal radar approach control (TRACON) indicated the aircraft was level at 11,000 feet. At 1055:49, when the pilot was handed off from socal TRACON to los angeles center, the pilot checked in with the center ". . . Level at one one thousand." At 1057:28, the pilot asked the center controller "what altitude you showing us at" to which the controller responded "not receiving your mode c right now sir." At 1057:37, the pilot transmitted "o k we'd like to climb to VFR on top, our uh altimeter just went down to uh fifty three hu ndred." The controller approved the pilot's request to climb to VFR conditions on-top and, at 1057:54, the pilot responded "roger we're out." No further transmissions were received from the aircraft. The airplane was equipped with a single instrument static pressure system with two heated static ports. The static system and static system instruments were damaged or destroyed by impact and post-crash fire sufficiently to preclude post-accident testing.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON 10/26/2000, AT 1058L, A CESSNA 340A, N4347C, WAS DESTROYED WHEN THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN NEAR JULIAN, CA. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT CERTIFICATED PILOT AND THE COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATED SECOND PILOT WERE FATALLY INJURED. ABOUT 4 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE LOSS OF RADAR CONTACT, WHILE EN ROUTE BETWEEN THE OCEANSIDE VORTAC AND THE JULIAN VORTAC (RADIO NAVIGATIONAL AIDES), THE FLIGHT WAS HANDED OFF TO THE LOS ANGELES AIR ROUTE TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTER. THE PILOT CHECKED IN WITH THE CENTER AT 11,000 FEET AND, A SHORT TIME LATER, ASKED WHAT ALTITUDE THE CENTER SHOWED HIM TO BE AT ON RADAR. THE CONTROLLER REPLIED THAT HE WAS IN THE TOPS OF THE CLOUDS AND NEEDED TO GO UP ABOUT 1,000 FEET. THE CONTROLLER CLEARED THE AIRCRAFT TO CLIMB AND MAINTAIN VFR CONDITIONS ON TOP AND, A SHORT TIME LATER, RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST. THE ACCIDENT SITE CONSISTED OF TWO DEBRIS AREAS. THE FIRST AREA CONTAINED WIDELY SCATTERED PARTS OF THE WING TIPS AND TIP FUEL TANKS. NUMEROUS TREE TOPS WERE BROKEN OFF GIVING THE APPEARANCE OF INITIAL CONTACT WITH A STATIONARY OBJECT. THE SECOND DEBRIS AREA (1500 FT FURTHER EAST) CONSISTED OF THE INBOARD WINGS AND FUSELAGE; FIRE CONSUMED MOST OF THE WREAKAGE. THE NTSB REPRESENTATIVE WAS INVESTIGATOR RICH PARKER OF THE LOS ANGELES OFFICE. (.4) DURING EN ROUTE CRUISE FLIGHT AT AN ASSIGNED ALTITUDE OF 11,000 FEET (MSL) IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS, THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN AT 5,300 FEET, IN WINGS-LEVEL, DESCENDING FLIGHT. DURING THE FINAL 12 MINUTES OF THE FLIGHT (FROM 1046 TO 1058 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME), RECORDED MILITARY SEARCH RADAR HEIGHT VALUES (PRIMARY RADAR RETURNS) SHOW THE AIRCRAFT IN A STEADY DESCENT FROM 11,000 FEET TO 5,600 FEET, WHERE RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST. DURING THE SAME TIME INTERVAL, RECORDED MODE C ALTITUDES RECEIVED AT LOS ANGELES AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTER (CENTER) AND SOCAL TERMINAL RADAR APPROACH CONTROL (TRACON) INDICATED THE AIRCRAFT WAS LEVEL AT 11,000 FEET. AT 1055:49, WHEN THE PILOT WAS HANDED OFF FROM SOCAL TRACON TO LOS ANGELES CENTER, THE PILOT CHECKED IN WITH THE CENTER ". . . LEVEL AT ONE ONE THOUSAND." AT 1057:28, THE PILOT ASKED THE CENTER CONTROLLER "WHAT ALTITUDE YOU SHOWING US AT" TO WHICH THE CONTROLLER RESPONDED "NOT RECEIVING YOUR MODE C RIGHT NOW SIR." AT 1057:37, THE PILOT TRANSMITTED "O K WE'D LIKE TO CLIMB TO VFR ON TOP, OUR UH ALTIMETER JUST WENT DOWN TO UH FIFTY THREE HU NDRED." THE CONTROLLER APPROVED THE PILOT'S REQUEST TO CLIMB TO VFR CONDITIONS ON-TOP AND, AT 1057:54, THE PILOT RESPONDED "ROGER WE'RE OUT." NO FURTHER TRANSMISSIONS WERE RECEIVED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRPLANE WAS EQUIPPED WITH A SINGLE INSTRUMENT STATIC PRESSURE SYSTEM WITH TWO HEATED STATIC PORTS. THE STATIC SYSTEM AND STATIC SYSTEM INSTRUMENTS WERE DAMAGED OR DESTROYED BY IMPACT AND POST-CRASH FIRE SUFFICIENTLY TO PRECLUDE POST-ACCIDENT TESTING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.