What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On 02/20/2009 at approximately 11:15 hours PST the pilot and airplane departed san bernardio airport (sbd) on a personal/pleasure flight with one passenger. After departing sbd the pilot flew east of the redlands airport (rea) and proceeded to practice commercial airplane maneuvers (eights on pylons) in preparation for his commercial pilot certificate. The pilot stated he leaned the engine mixture control shortly after departure from sbd. The pilot stated he climbed to an altitude of approximately 6,000 feet MSL while practicing more commercial maneuvers 9(channels and lazy eights). The pilot stated he then decided to fly up to Big Bear airport (L35) by route of over flying the dam and then into the Big Bear airport. The pilot stated the plane was not climbing well and through the engine might be experiencing carburetor ice and decided to apply carburetor heat. The pilot stated there was a slight decrease in engine RPM and the pilot realized that carburetor ice was not an issue and turned off the carburetor heat. The piloted stated the planet was not climbing and continued further up into a box canyon in an area west of the Big Bear dam. The pilot stated he did not think he had enough room to turn the airplane and the terrain was approaching. The pilot stalled the aircraft into a tree and then it impacted the terrain in a northwesterly direction at approximately 12:00 hours PST. The aircraft was substantially damaged, the pilot reported no injuries, and the passenger reported a sore right elbow. The passengers contacted an unknown individual at the sbd and that individual contacted the san bernardino county sheriff's department at 13:31 hours PST. The san bernardino country sheriff's department disptached a sheriff's helicopter to rescue the pilot and passenger. The pilot was interviewed by the riverside flight standards district office on 02/26/2009.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON 02/20/2009 AT APPROXIMATELY 11:15 HOURS PST THE PILOT AND AIRPLANE DEPARTED SAN BERNARDIO AIRPORT (SBD) ON A PERSONAL/PLEASURE FLIGHT WITH ONE PASSENGER. AFTER DEPARTING SBD THE PILOT FLEW EAST OF THE REDLANDS AIRPORT (REA) AND PROCEEDED TO PRACTICE COMMERCIAL AIRPLANE MANEUVERS (EIGHTS ON PYLONS) IN PREPARATION FOR HIS COMMERCIAL PILOT CERTIFICATE. THE PILOT STATED HE LEANED THE ENGINE MIXTURE CONTROL SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTURE FROM SBD. THE PILOT STATED HE CLIMBED TO AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 6,000 FEET MSL WHILE PRACTICING MORE COMMERCIAL MANEUVERS 9(CHANNELS AND LAZY EIGHTS). THE PILOT STATED HE THEN DECIDED TO FLY UP TO BIG BEAR AIRPORT (L35) BY ROUTE OF OVER FLYING THE DAM AND THEN INTO THE BIG BEAR AIRPORT. THE PILOT STATED THE PLANE WAS NOT CLIMBING WELL AND THROUGH THE ENGINE MIGHT BE EXPERIENCING CARBURETOR ICE AND DECIDED TO APPLY CARBURETOR HEAT. THE PILOT STATED THERE WAS A SLIGHT DECREASE IN ENGINE RPM AND THE PILOT REALIZED THAT CARBURETOR ICE WAS NOT AN ISSUE AND TURNED OFF THE CARBURETOR HEAT. THE PILOTED STATED THE PLANET WAS NOT CLIMBING AND CONTINUED FURTHER UP INTO A BOX CANYON IN AN AREA WEST OF THE BIG BEAR DAM. THE PILOT STATED HE DID NOT THINK HE HAD ENOUGH ROOM TO TURN THE AIRPLANE AND THE TERRAIN WAS APPROACHING. THE PILOT STALLED THE AIRCRAFT INTO A TREE AND THEN IT IMPACTED THE TERRAIN IN A NORTHWESTERLY DIRECTION AT APPROXIMATELY 12:00 HOURS PST. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED, THE PILOT REPORTED NO INJURIES, AND THE PASSENGER REPORTED A SORE RIGHT ELBOW. THE PASSENGERS CONTACTED AN UNKNOWN INDIVIDUAL AT THE SBD AND THAT INDIVIDUAL CONTACTED THE SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT AT 13:31 HOURS PST. THE SAN BERNARDINO COUNTRY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT DISPTACHED A SHERIFF'S HELICOPTER TO RESCUE THE PILOT AND PASSENGER. THE PILOT WAS INTERVIEWED BY THE RIVERSIDE FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE ON 02/26/2009.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.