20021014028149A

(.19) On October 14, 2002, at 1052 pacific daylight time, a Cessna 150F, N8735G, collided with mountainous terrain at 2,400 feet mean sea level following an in-flight loss of control about 19 miles east of Julian, California. The airplane, owned and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91 of the federal aviation regulations, was destroyed in the collision sequence and post crash fire. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal cross-country flight that originated at imperial, California, at 1019, destined for ramona, California. According to preliminary information from the federal aviation administration (FAA), at 0814 on the morning of the accident, the pilot contacted the san diego automated flight service station and requested an abbreviated weather briefing for a flight from imperial to ramona. The pilot was advised that VFR flight was not recommended due to low clouds and fog in the ramona area, and that he should call back around 1000 or 1100 for an update. The pilot declined to receive NOTAMS. There is no record that the pilot recontacted anyfaa facility regarding weather information. At 1019, the pilot contacted los angeles air route traffic control center (ARTCC) and stated that he had just departed imperial and wanted VFR advisories to ramona because his "GPS was acting up." The pilot was given a discrete transponder code and when radar contact was established, the controller noted that the airplane was nearly in an active restricted area (R2510A). The controller assisted the pilot to navigate around the restricted area as the flight climbed to a mode c reported altitude of 6,500 feet. A short time later, the pilot asked the controller to help him find the ramona airport and the controller gave the pilot a suggested heading to fly. At 1048, the pilot ceased talking on the radio and attempts by the controller to reestablish contact by using other airborne airplanes to relay messages was unsuccessful. The controller reported that the airplane then began a left descending 360-degree turn. Preliminary examination of the recorded radar data disclosed that shortly after radio contact was lost the aircraft began a left descending turn with about a 2,000-foot diameter, which continued for about 900 degrees (2 1/2 complete turns). The rate of descent computed from the mode c altitude reports began about 500 feet per minute and increased to about 1,500 feet per minute by the time of the last two secondary beacon returns. The last secondary beacon return showed a mode c reported altitude of 4,100 feet and was located about 0.6 nautical miles east of the impact location. Ground based witnesses at a small airstrip about 10 miles south east of the accident location reported that they saw the airplane fly overhead and a short time later saw the smoke rising from the accident site. The winds were described as calm and the skies clear. (-23) Mr. Costello called fss for a weather brief at 0814 oct 2002, for a flight from ipl to ramona. He was told there were clouds and overcast at ramona and to wait a few hours. He received an abbreviated brief. At 1019 Mr. Costello took off from ipl en route to ramona. At 1040 los angeles artc had him in radar contact at 6,500 feet. He complained that his navigation was bad and that his GPS had failed. He was given radar vectors to ramona at 1046. He was observed making 360 degree turns and descending at 400 feet to 1 000 feet per minute. Radar contact was lost at 1052 at 4,100 feet. Impact on vallecito mountain was seen at 1055 by people at ocotelo airport.