Were Flying To KONT; Second Accident In Area In Past Year
Two men who made their
living selling aircraft have been identified as the victims of
Tuesday's accident involving a company-owned Cessna 208B Caravan
near Yucaipa, CA.
Steve O'Neill, Cessna's Western US Regional Sales Manager for
the Caravan, and Pacific Aircraft Sales Inc. President Rick
Voorhis. Pacific Aircraft Sales is an authorized sales
representative for Cessna. The two were believed to be flying to
Ontario, CA to demonstrate the accident aircraft to a prospective
buyer.
"Our thoughts, prayers and sympathies are with the families and
friends of those lost in this tragic event. We are assisting these
family members in every way we can, and we ask that all Cessnans
join together in providing the support that's so important in this
time of need," Cessna Chairman, President and CEO Jack Pelton said
in a written statement.
As Aero-News reported
Wednesday, the Caravan (file photo of type, below)
went down Tuesday afternoon near the Oak Glen Conservation Camp in
the San Bernardino National Forest. Inmates at the camp saw the
aircraft flying low, and said it sounded like the aircraft was
having engine problems.
A local rancher who was feeding his livestock also saw the
aircraft.
"It was flying low, not high enough to clear the mountain," said
longtime Oak Glen resident Robert Law to the Ontario Daily
Bulletin. "If the plane had turned, it would have made it, but they
probably didn't know the area."
More than 80 people from the county's search-and-rescue team and
the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection set out
Tuesday night to find the aircraft, but were forced to delay the
search due to fog and snow at the accident site.
Crews reached the wreckage Wednesday morning, and the NTSB is
currently investigating the cause of the accident.
Tuesday's accident was the second plane crash in the area in
just over a year. In February 2005, a Piper Cherokee went down on a
steep slope just west of Oak Glen. A flight instructor and two
students onboard the plane were lost.
** Report created 3/30/2006 Record
2
*****************************************
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 208WE
Make/Model: C208 Description: 208
Caravan 1, (Super)Cargomaster, Grand
Date: 03/29/2006 Time: 0055
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury:
Fatal Mid Air: N Missing:
N
Damage: Unknown
LOCATION
City: YUCAIPA State: CA Country:
US
DESCRIPTION
ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES INTO A MOUNTAINOUS
AREA, ACFT WAS
THE SUBJECT OF AN ALERT NOTICE, UNKNOWN NUMBER OF PERSONS ON
BOARD, THREE
ASSUMED FATAL ON BOARD, WRECKAGE LOCATED 25 MILES WEST OF
PALM SPRINGS,
YUCAIPA, CA
INJURY DATA Total
Fatal: 2
# Crew: 2 Fat:
2 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk: 0
# Pass: 1 Fat:
0 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk: 1
# Grnd:
Fat: 0 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
WEATHER: PALM SPRINGS WX BKN 7500, BKN 9000
OTHER DATA
Activity: Unknown Phase:
Unknown Operation: General
Aviation
Departed:
Dep Date: Dep.
Time:
Destination: ONTARIO,
CA
Flt
Plan:
Wx Briefing:
Last Radio Cont:
Last Clearance:
FAA FSDO: RIVERSIDE, CA
(WP21)
Entry date: 03/30/2006