Cessna 402B N69383

Summary

On 19 February 1989 at about 20:10 local time, a Cessna 402B registered N69383 was involved in an accident near Corona, California, United States. 10 people were on board and 10 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

19 February 1989 at 20:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Corona, California, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Cessna 402B

Registration

N69383

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Las Vegas → Santa Ana

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DCA89MA026

10 people died.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO PROPERLY PREFLIGHT AND PLAN FOR FLIGHT AND HIS INTENTIONAL FLIGHT INTO IMC CONDITIONS. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE LOW CEILING CONDITIONS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PLT WAS OPERATING AN ON-DEMAND AIR TAXI PASSENGER FLT TO SANTA ANA, CA. THE ACDT OCCURRED DRG DESCENT, WHEN THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH A MTN AT 2060 FT MSL. THE PLT HAD RCVD A PREFLT WX BRIEFING IN WHICH HE WAS ADVISED OF LOW CEILINGS AND REDUCED VIS IN THE LOS ANGELES BASIN, SURROUNDING MTNS OBSCURED BY CLOUDS, AND THAT VFR FLT TO SANTA ANA WAS NOT RECOMMENDED. HE DEPARTED VFR. WHILE EN ROUTE, THE PLT WAS ADVISED THAT SANTA ANA WAS REPORTING 1400 FT OVCST WITH 5 MILES VIS. A VIDEOTAPE RECORDED BY A PASSENGER SHOWED MTN PEAKS PROTRUDING THROUGH A SOLID CLOUD LAYER AND SHOWED THE ACFT DESCENDING INTO THE CLOUDS. WITNESSES DESCRIBED A LOW CLOUD CEILING NR THE CRASH SITE AND CLOUD TOPS AT 5000 FT. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED EVIDENCE OF POWERED FLT AND NO EVIDENCE OF PREIMPACT CONTROL OR ENGINE MALFUNCTION.RECORDS INDICATED THAT THE PLT HAD ENCOUNTERED IMC ON ONLY 1 FLT IN THE PREVIOUS 9 MOS. HE WAS DIR OF OPNS FOR THE OPERATOR.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.