What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On April 6, 2003, at approximately 1630 pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-28-140, N8719N, collided with trees in mountainous terrain about 2 miles southwest of Big Bear Lake, California. The airplane, which was destroyed, was registered to a friend of the pilot. The pilot who holds both a commercial and certified flight instructor certificate and one passenger received fatal injuries. A second passenger received minor injuries. The personal flight operating under 14 CFR part 91 of the federal aviation regulations originated at big Bear city airport at approximately 1615 and was destined for montgomery airport in san diego, California. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and the pilot received a weather brief. No flight plan was filed. The four-place 180 horsepower airplane carrying three adult persons and approximately 107 pounds of baggage departed big Bear city airport, which is situated at an altitude of 6,748 feet mean sea level (MSL). Fuel receipts indicate that the airplane received 6 gallons of fuel at big Bear city before departure and the surviving passenger stated that the pilot said they would stop at palomar airport, oceanside, California, to fuel up beforecontinuing on to montgomery airport in san diego, California. The survivor also stated that everything seemed normal during flight until just seconds before the accident when she thought that they were "low over the land." The airplane appeared to have been flying in a west-southwest direction as it approached the southern face of the ridgeline. The accident site is on the orthern face of the ridgeline. The elevations of the ridgeline just above the accident site average 7,800 feet MSL. Based on the pattern of debris in the area it appears the aircraft failed to have sufficient altitude to clear the ridgeline and began striking trees. A descending path of severed pine treetops and branches extended down the north face of the ridgeline. The airplane then appeared to have struck a very large tree head on. The airplane then spun approximately 375 degrees, coming to rest west of the large tree, pointing in a northern direction, on its main wheels. This mountain ridgeline where the accident occurred is the last major mountain terrain featured before the terrain descends towards san bernardino in the greater los angeles basin. Subsequent tear down inspection of the aircraft and engine conducted by the NTSB and the oem's revealed no mechanical problems.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON APRIL 6, 2003, AT APPROXIMATELY 1630 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-28-140, N8719N, COLLIDED WITH TREES IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN ABOUT 2 MILES SOUTHWEST OF BIG BEAR LAKE, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRPLANE, WHICH WAS DESTROYED, WAS REGISTERED TO A FRIEND OF THE PILOT. THE PILOT WHO HOLDS BOTH A COMMERCIAL AND CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR CERTIFICATE AND ONE PASSENGER RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. A SECOND PASSENGER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT OPERATING UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 OF THE FEDERAL AVIATION REGULATIONS ORIGINATED AT BIG BEAR CITY AIRPORT AT APPROXIMATELY 1615 AND WAS DESTINED FOR MONTGOMERY AIRPORT IN SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND THE PILOT RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEF. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FOUR-PLACE 180 HORSEPOWER AIRPLANE CARRYING THREE ADULT PERSONS AND APPROXIMATELY 107 POUNDS OF BAGGAGE DEPARTED BIG BEAR CITY AIRPORT, WHICH IS SITUATED AT AN ALTITUDE OF 6,748 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL). FUEL RECEIPTS INDICATE THAT THE AIRPLANE RECEIVED 6 GALLONS OF FUEL AT BIG BEAR CITY BEFORE DEPARTURE AND THE SURVIVING PASSENGER STATED THAT THE PILOT SAID THEY WOULD STOP AT PALOMAR AIRPORT, OCEANSIDE, CALIFORNIA, TO FUEL UP BEFORECONTINUING ON TO MONTGOMERY AIRPORT IN SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA. THE SURVIVOR ALSO STATED THAT EVERYTHING SEEMED NORMAL DURING FLIGHT UNTIL JUST SECONDS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT WHEN SHE THOUGHT THAT THEY WERE "LOW OVER THE LAND." THE AIRPLANE APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN FLYING IN A WEST-SOUTHWEST DIRECTION AS IT APPROACHED THE SOUTHERN FACE OF THE RIDGELINE. THE ACCIDENT SITE IS ON THE ORTHERN FACE OF THE RIDGELINE. THE ELEVATIONS OF THE RIDGELINE JUST ABOVE THE ACCIDENT SITE AVERAGE 7,800 FEET MSL. BASED ON THE PATTERN OF DEBRIS IN THE AREA IT APPEARS THE AIRCRAFT FAILED TO HAVE SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE TO CLEAR THE RIDGELINE AND BEGAN STRIKING TREES. A DESCENDING PATH OF SEVERED PINE TREETOPS AND BRANCHES EXTENDED DOWN THE NORTH FACE OF THE RIDGELINE. THE AIRPLANE THEN APPEARED TO HAVE STRUCK A VERY LARGE TREE HEAD ON. THE AIRPLANE THEN SPUN APPROXIMATELY 375 DEGREES, COMING TO REST WEST OF THE LARGE TREE, POINTING IN A NORTHERN DIRECTION, ON ITS MAIN WHEELS. THIS MOUNTAIN RIDGELINE WHERE THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED IS THE LAST MAJOR MOUNTAIN TERRAIN FEATURED BEFORE THE TERRAIN DESCENDS TOWARDS SAN BERNARDINO IN THE GREATER LOS ANGELES BASIN. SUBSEQUENT TEAR DOWN INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT AND ENGINE CONDUCTED BY THE NTSB AND THE OEM'S REVEALED NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS.
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 N8719N · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.