What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
privacy data omitted Departed the bermuda dunes airport at approximately 01:48 UTC on a VFR flight to the van nuys airport. The manager of the bermuda dunes airport confirmed privacy data omittedwas serviced with 20 gallons of 100LL fuel that afternoon. The owner of privacy data omitted, a CFI, stated the 20 gallons of fuel added to any fuel already on board the aircraft would be sufficient for the flight.
An examination of the ADS-B data for the flight indicates that at a point approximately two nautical miles southeast of the crash site privacy data omitted turned from a westerly heading to the northwest towards the intersection of interstate 405 and 101 as initially instructed by ATC. The aircraft appears to maintain a constant heading and a relatively normal rate of decent and airspeed over the next two miles to a point where the aircraft impacted terrain. We do not believe the aircraft experienced a power loss nor do we believe the pilot experienced special disorientation.
The NTSB iic stated he discovered fuel in the wings of the aircraft at the accident site and an examination of the aircraft was completed that did not reveal any anomalies with the airplane.
The accident appears to be a controlled flight into terrain (cfit) acident which, the FAA defines as an unintentional collision with terrain (the ground, a mountain, a body of water, or an obstacle) while an aircraft is under positive control. We suspect this was due to the plot’s loss of situational awareness.
Individuals that live near the accident site reported fog in the area however, we are not able to determine whether it was surface fog, a fog layer or whether the fog obscured the terrain privacy data omitted collided with.
As the FAA filed it
^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DEPARTED THE BERMUDA DUNES AIRPORT AT APPROXIMATELY 01:48 UTC ON A VFR FLIGHT TO THE VAN NUYS AIRPORT. THE MANAGER OF THE BERMUDA DUNES AIRPORT CONFIRMED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^WAS SERVICED WITH 20 GALLONS OF 100LL FUEL THAT AFTERNOON. THE OWNER OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A CFI, STATED THE 20 GALLONS OF FUEL ADDED TO ANY FUEL ALREADY ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT WOULD BE SUFFICIENT FOR THE FLIGHT.
AN EXAMINATION OF THE ADS-B DATA FOR THE FLIGHT INDICATES THAT AT A POINT APPROXIMATELY TWO NAUTICAL MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE CRASH SITE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TURNED FROM A WESTERLY HEADING TO THE NORTHWEST TOWARDS THE INTERSECTION OF INTERSTATE 405 AND 101 AS INITIALLY INSTRUCTED BY ATC. THE AIRCRAFT APPEARS TO MAINTAIN A CONSTANT HEADING AND A RELATIVELY NORMAL RATE OF DECENT AND AIRSPEED OVER THE NEXT TWO MILES TO A POINT WHERE THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED TERRAIN. WE DO NOT BELIEVE THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A POWER LOSS NOR DO WE BELIEVE THE PILOT EXPERIENCED SPECIAL DISORIENTATION.
THE NTSB IIC STATED HE DISCOVERED FUEL IN THE WINGS OF THE AIRCRAFT AT THE ACCIDENT SITE AND AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS COMPLETED THAT DID NOT REVEAL ANY ANOMALIES WITH THE AIRPLANE.
THE ACCIDENT APPEARS TO BE A CONTROLLED FLIGHT INTO TERRAIN (CFIT) ACIDENT WHICH, THE FAA DEFINES AS AN UNINTENTIONAL COLLISION WITH TERRAIN (THE GROUND, A MOUNTAIN, A BODY OF WATER, OR AN OBSTACLE) WHILE AN AIRCRAFT IS UNDER POSITIVE CONTROL. WE SUSPECT THIS WAS DUE TO THE PLOT’S LOSS OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS.
INDIVIDUALS THAT LIVE NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE REPORTED FOG IN THE AREA HOWEVER, WE ARE NOT ABLE TO DETERMINE WHETHER IT WAS SURFACE FOG, A FOG LAYER OR WHETHER THE FOG OBSCURED THE TERRAIN ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ COLLIDED WITH.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.