What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On may 10, 2004, about 2100 pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-44-180, N304PA, collided with mountainous terrain during cruise at Julian, California. Pan am international flight academy was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91. Both private pilots were fatally injured, and the airplane was destroyed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan had been filed. The personal flight originated at phoenix deer valley airport, phoenix, Arizona, around 1830. The two pilots were on a routine IFR flight from phoenix deer valley to mcclellan-palomar airport, carlsbad, California. Initial review of air traffic control (ATC) communications and radar data indicate that the airplane was traveling west, approaching the Julian VOR at 8,000 feet. The airplane descended to 5,200 feet in response to an ATC instruction. The airplane impacted trees on a 5,500-foot ridgeline, 668 feet southeast of the Julian VOR.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON MAY 10, 2004, ABOUT 2100 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-44-180, N304PA, COLLIDED WITH MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN DURING CRUISE AT JULIAN, CALIFORNIA. PAN AM INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT ACADEMY WAS OPERATING THE AIRPLANE UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91. BOTH PRIVATE PILOTS WERE FATALLY INJURED, AND THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES (IFR) FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT PHOENIX DEER VALLEY AIRPORT, PHOENIX, ARIZONA, AROUND 1830. THE TWO PILOTS WERE ON A ROUTINE IFR FLIGHT FROM PHOENIX DEER VALLEY TO MCCLELLAN-PALOMAR AIRPORT, CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA. INITIAL REVIEW OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL (ATC) COMMUNICATIONS AND RADAR DATA INDICATE THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS TRAVELING WEST, APPROACHING THE JULIAN VOR AT 8,000 FEET. THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED TO 5,200 FEET IN RESPONSE TO AN ATC INSTRUCTION. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TREES ON A 5,500-FOOT RIDGELINE, 668 FEET SOUTHEAST OF THE JULIAN VOR.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.