Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Rancho Cucamong, California 91729
Monday, March 22, 1999 13:30 PST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The 21-year-old private pilot was rated for airplane single engine land, sea, and instrument. He was an engineering student in his senior year, and his goal was to become an aerospace engineer. The pilot had an eye condition with 2 prior extraocular muscle surgeries. He rented an airplane for a local area flight. Witnesses reported seeing the airplane descending about 45 degrees at high engine power into mountainous terrain. A sheriff's helicopter pilot reported, about 15 minutes after the accident that the weather at the accident site was clear with 10 miles visibility and the wind was from the southwest (up canyon). The airplane collided with a 60-degree canyon wall near a location called 'Party Rock Point.' The tachometer needle was imprinted onto the instrument face at 2,650 rpm; the redline is 2,550 rpm. The wing structure was accordioned from leading edge to trailing edge, as was the fuselage. No mechanical discrepancies were found with the airplane.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

the pilot's failure to maintain altitude/clearance from mountainous terrain for unknown reasons.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 3/22/1999
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 1330
Event Time Zone Pacific Standard Time
Event City RANCHO CUCAMONG
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 91729
Event Date Year 1999
Event Date Month 3
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1351 Pacific Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID ONT
Elevation of weather observation facility 943
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation PST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 25000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 20
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 8
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 260
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 16
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1083
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Mar 22 1999 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1500
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 11:26AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N67821
NTSB Number LAX99FA129
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Cessna
Aircraft Model 152
Aircraft Series Identifier 152
Aircraft Serial Number 15282038
Certified Max Gross Weight 1670
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 2
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Mar 16 1999 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 2
Airframe Hours 3090
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name ROBERT Y. CABLE
Aircraft Owner Street Address 992 WESTRIDGE COURT
Aircraft Owner City UPLAND
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 91786
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name CABLEAIR
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 13TH AND BENSON
Operator City UPLAND
Operator State CA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 91786
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code CCB
Departure City UPLAND
Departure State CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1300
Departure Time Zone PST
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:34AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --