What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
A Cessna aircraft (N9217B) with three people onboard crashed on a hillside near the Redlands wastewater treatment facility on Friday June 5, 2020. The san bernardino sheriff s report stated the aircraft was on the ground near privacy data omitted. Redlands city spokesman privacy data omitted said the plane was visible from the road on a ridgeline but was not easily accessible by foot, however a crew to include Redlands police, the FAA, the coroner and a fire department rescue team were able to gain access to the site assisted by the san bernardino county sheriff?s aviation department via helicopter Saturday morning, June 6, 2020.
There were three fatalities on board to include the pilot and two women. No survivors. The weather at the time of the accident was not determined, however there were high winds, fog and variable ceilings throughout the weekend.
The aircraft was found facing at a 260 degree heading approximately 40 feet below the ridge with an 80 foot debris path from the impact point.
The aircraft was equipped with adsb equipment and tracked by a flight aware program showing the time of flight from big bear airport at 0746 and ending on the ridge near Redlands at 0801 with altitude variations from 6700 at big bear to 1000 feet and approximately 2800 on the ridge. Speeds were from 70 to 150 mph at impact with the route departing big bear airport from runway 8 with a right downwind departure out of the big bear lake area mostly on a southwest heading and making a 360 degree turn before hitting the ridge.
Contact was made with the big bear airport manager who witnessed the pilot and passengers leaving the terminal area and provided surveillance video of the event. Although the airport video and airport reports show fairly conclusive evidence of those boarding the aircraft a final identification and autopsy report has not been completed by the coroner on site, nor has the final NTSB report been completed as of this writing, July 14, 2020. This investigation is considered closed at this time, however may be reopened should further evidence change the validity of this report.
As the FAA filed it
A CESSNA AIRCRAFT (N9217B) WITH THREE PEOPLE ONBOARD CRASHED ON A HILLSIDE NEAR THE REDLANDS WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY ON FRIDAY JUNE 5, 2020. THE SAN BERNARDINO SHERIFF S REPORT STATED THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON THE GROUND NEAR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. REDLANDS CITY SPOKESMAN ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SAID THE PLANE WAS VISIBLE FROM THE ROAD ON A RIDGELINE BUT WAS NOT EASILY ACCESSIBLE BY FOOT, HOWEVER A CREW TO INCLUDE REDLANDS POLICE, THE FAA, THE CORONER AND A FIRE DEPARTMENT RESCUE TEAM WERE ABLE TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE SITE ASSISTED BY THE SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY SHERIFF?S AVIATION DEPARTMENT VIA HELICOPTER SATURDAY MORNING, JUNE 6, 2020.
THERE WERE THREE FATALITIES ON BOARD TO INCLUDE THE PILOT AND TWO WOMEN. NO SURVIVORS. THE WEATHER AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS NOT DETERMINED, HOWEVER THERE WERE HIGH WINDS, FOG AND VARIABLE CEILINGS THROUGHOUT THE WEEKEND.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND FACING AT A 260 DEGREE HEADING APPROXIMATELY 40 FEET BELOW THE RIDGE WITH AN 80 FOOT DEBRIS PATH FROM THE IMPACT POINT.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH ADSB EQUIPMENT AND TRACKED BY A FLIGHT AWARE PROGRAM SHOWING THE TIME OF FLIGHT FROM BIG BEAR AIRPORT AT 0746 AND ENDING ON THE RIDGE NEAR REDLANDS AT 0801 WITH ALTITUDE VARIATIONS FROM 6700 AT BIG BEAR TO 1000 FEET AND APPROXIMATELY 2800 ON THE RIDGE. SPEEDS WERE FROM 70 TO 150 MPH AT IMPACT WITH THE ROUTE DEPARTING BIG BEAR AIRPORT FROM RUNWAY 8 WITH A RIGHT DOWNWIND DEPARTURE OUT OF THE BIG BEAR LAKE AREA MOSTLY ON A SOUTHWEST HEADING AND MAKING A 360 DEGREE TURN BEFORE HITTING THE RIDGE.
CONTACT WAS MADE WITH THE BIG BEAR AIRPORT MANAGER WHO WITNESSED THE PILOT AND PASSENGERS LEAVING THE TERMINAL AREA AND PROVIDED SURVEILLANCE VIDEO OF THE EVENT. ALTHOUGH THE AIRPORT VIDEO AND AIRPORT REPORTS SHOW FAIRLY CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE OF THOSE BOARDING THE AIRCRAFT A FINAL IDENTIFICATION AND AUTOPSY REPORT HAS NOT BEEN COMPLETED BY THE CORONER ON SITE, NOR HAS THE FINAL NTSB REPORT BEEN COMPLETED AS OF THIS WRITING, JULY 14, 2020. THIS INVESTIGATION IS CONSIDERED CLOSED AT THIS TIME, HOWEVER MAY BE REOPENED SHOULD FURTHER EVIDENCE CHANGE THE VALIDITY OF THIS REPORT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.