What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Passenger reported that she and pilot took off from Corona airport on a local sightseing flight over lake matthews. Her cousin had just flown with the pilot previously for about 25 minutes. After a while, over lake mathews, she felt the aircraft shudder violently. The pilot said "oh sorry, I won't let that happen again." About a minute later, the aircraft did it again. She said the engine noise then stopped, she thinks the propeller stopped. She knew they were falling to the ground. It became vertical. They crashed into a cell tower disguised as a tree. At the accident site, no smell of fuel was noted by investigators. No post crash fire was noted, and on movement of the wreckage, no fuel was noted in the fuel tank.
As the FAA filed it
PASSENGER REPORTED THAT SHE AND PILOT TOOK OFF FROM CORONA AIRPORT ON A LOCAL SIGHTSEING FLIGHT OVER LAKE MATTHEWS. HER COUSIN HAD JUST FLOWN WITH THE PILOT PREVIOUSLY FOR ABOUT 25 MINUTES. AFTER A WHILE, OVER LAKE MATHEWS, SHE FELT THE AIRCRAFT SHUDDER VIOLENTLY. THE PILOT SAID "OH SORRY, I WON'T LET THAT HAPPEN AGAIN." ABOUT A MINUTE LATER, THE AIRCRAFT DID IT AGAIN. SHE SAID THE ENGINE NOISE THEN STOPPED, SHE THINKS THE PROPELLER STOPPED. SHE KNEW THEY WERE FALLING TO THE GROUND. IT BECAME VERTICAL. THEY CRASHED INTO A CELL TOWER DISGUISED AS A TREE. AT THE ACCIDENT SITE, NO SMELL OF FUEL WAS NOTED BY INVESTIGATORS. NO POST CRASH FIRE WAS NOTED, AND ON MOVEMENT OF THE WRECKAGE, NO FUEL WAS NOTED IN THE FUEL TANK.
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 N7LM · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.