What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On October 09, 2013 at about 1443 PDT, N7145U, a Mooney model M20E airplane, collided with terrain near Julian, CA. The pilot privacy data omitted of the plane, privacy data omitted was operating the plane under 14 CFR part 91. The pilot and one passenger sustained fatal injuries. The plane was destroyed.
The plane had departed from palm springs, CA (psp) with a planned destination of gillespie field airport (see), el cajon, CA. The plane departed under visual meteorological conditions (VMC) and no flight plan was filed.
FAA reported that the pilot was receiving VFR flight following from san diego approach control when ATC lost radio and radar contact at 1443 PDT. An alnot was issued.
San diego search and rescue located the wreckage at about 0100 PDT on oct 10, 2013. The wreckage was on a 60 degree slope of vulcan mountain at an elevation of 4200 ft. MSL.
While weather at the crash site at the time of the crash is unknown, weather over the area at the time included heavy rain and thunderstorms. Search and rescue aircraft were unable to fly over the crash site area for several hours after the alnot was issued due to severe weather conditions that prevailed.
It is presumed that the severe weather was a factor in the crash, resulting in controlled flight into terrain.
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 09, 2013 AT ABOUT 1443 PDT, N7145U, A MOONEY MODEL M20E AIRPLANE, COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN NEAR JULIAN, CA. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OF THE PLANE, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS OPERATING THE PLANE UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THE PLANE WAS DESTROYED.
THE PLANE HAD DEPARTED FROM PALM SPRINGS, CA (PSP) WITH A PLANNED DESTINATION OF GILLESPIE FIELD AIRPORT (SEE), EL CAJON, CA. THE PLANE DEPARTED UNDER VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (VMC) AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED.
FAA REPORTED THAT THE PILOT WAS RECEIVING VFR FLIGHT FOLLOWING FROM SAN DIEGO APPROACH CONTROL WHEN ATC LOST RADIO AND RADAR CONTACT AT 1443 PDT. AN ALNOT WAS ISSUED.
SAN DIEGO SEARCH AND RESCUE LOCATED THE WRECKAGE AT ABOUT 0100 PDT ON OCT 10, 2013. THE WRECKAGE WAS ON A 60 DEGREE SLOPE OF VULCAN MOUNTAIN AT AN ELEVATION OF 4200 FT. MSL.
WHILE WEATHER AT THE CRASH SITE AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH IS UNKNOWN, WEATHER OVER THE AREA AT THE TIME INCLUDED HEAVY RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS. SEARCH AND RESCUE AIRCRAFT WERE UNABLE TO FLY OVER THE CRASH SITE AREA FOR SEVERAL HOURS AFTER THE ALNOT WAS ISSUED DUE TO SEVERE WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT PREVAILED.
IT IS PRESUMED THAT THE SEVERE WEATHER WAS A FACTOR IN THE CRASH, RESULTING IN CONTROLLED FLIGHT INTO TERRAIN.
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 N7145U · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.