First Known Customer-Involved Fatal Accident In Type
ANN REALTIME Update, 0004, 10.20.05: A Columbia 400 airplane
carrying three people returning home to Arizona after an air show
went down Monday morning in a mountainous region of Southern
California. All onboard were killed in the accident, believed to be
the first involving a certified Columbia (nee Lancair)
aircraft.
According to media reports, the Columbia 400 (file
photo of type, below) left El Cajon's Gillespie Field Monday
morning en route to Scottsdale, AZ. The aircraft was reported
overdue Tuesday morning, and a Civil Air Patrol search was launched
shortly thereafter.
The wreckage was located near a ridgeline in the Anza-Borrego
Desert State Park, said Maj. Brian Stover of the Civil Air
Patrol.
"There's no sign of survivors," said Stover.
Reported weather was poor along the aircraft's flight path
at the time of the accident, although it is not yet known if
conditions may have been a factor. No flight plan had been filed,
according to CAP reports, and the ELT had not activated.
The identities of the pilot and two passengers onboard were not
released pending notification of their families, although it was
confirmed by The Scottsdale Republic newspaper all three were from
the Scottsdale area, and had been returning home after
participating in the Miramar Air Show at the United States Marine
Corp Base in San Diego over the weekend.
The airplane was also based at the Scottsdale Airport, according
to the Republic.
Columbia Aircraft Issues Statement: Three Believed Lost In
Columbia 400 Accident
With deep sadness,
Columbia Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation announced today that
three souls are believed lost in an accident involving a Columbia
400 in the mountains of Southern California.
The aircraft departed Gillespie Field in San Diego, California
on Monday October 17th at approximately 11:21 a.m. PDT en route to
Scottsdale, Arizona. Weather along the route was reported as poor
at the time of departure. The aircraft was reported overdue Tuesday
morning by parties expecting the flight’s arrival. The Civil
Air Patrol launched a search for the aircraft along the
flight’s anticipated route as soon as weather conditions
allowed and located the wreckage in a mountainous area of Southern
California a short time later. A ground team has been dispatched to
the scene. The names of those believed on board the aircraft at the
time of the accident are being withheld pending positive
identification and notification of their families.
Columbia Aircraft has dispatched a team to the accident site and
is cooperating fully and actively with investigators from the
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA). This is the first fatal accident involving a
certified Columbia aircraft.
Those at Columbia Aircraft wish to express their deepest
sympathies for those lost as well as for their families and
friends.
Columbia Aircraft manufactures two certified aircraft models.
The Columbia 350 is a normally aspirated, four-place aircraft with
a cruise speed of 191 knots. The Columbia 400 is an intercooled
twin-turbocharged, four-place aircraft certified to FL250 with a
cruise speed of 235 knots. In addition to providing legendary
performance, both models are renowned for their high level of
standard equipment, quality and safety features, including dual
electrical systems, dual wing spars, spin resistant/spin recovery
features and Utility Category certification.