Cessna 340A accident near Cabazon, CA
On February 2, 2008, a Cessna 340A (airplane) was involved in an accident near Cabazon, CA. 4 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- February 2, 2008
- Place
- Cabazon, CA
- Aircraft
- Cessna 340A · Airplane
- Injuries
- 4 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 34.000°N, 116.779°W
- NTSB ID
- 20080219X00209
Official records · LAX08FA058
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On February 2, 2008, approximately 1340 Pacific standard time, a Cessna 340A, N354TJ, collided with mountainous terrain while maneuvering near Cabazon, California. The private pilot and his three passengers were killed; impact forces destroyed the airplane. The pilot, the registered owner, operated the airplane under provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The personal cross-country flight originated from the Bermuda Dunes Airport (UDD), Palm Springs, California, about 1330, with a planned destination of the Chino Airport, Chino, California. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the nearest official reporting station; instrument meteorological conditions prevailed in the accident area. No flight plan had been filed. A family member reported the airplane overdue to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on February 6, 2008, after becoming concerned that the pilot had not been seen since February 2, 2008. The FAA issued an alert notification (ALNOT). On the afternoon of February 6, 2008, the Civil Air Patrol commenced search and rescue operations in the vicinity of where the last FAA radar return was observed. Aerial units located the airplane on the afternoon of February 9, 2008, within mountainous terrain about 6.75 miles northeast of the Banning Municipal Airport, Banning, California. Review of Air Traffic Control communications and radar data from Southern California (SCT) Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON), revealed that radar services were terminated due to anticipation of losing radar coverage within Banning Pass.
Probable cause
The pilot's continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions and failure to maintain terrain clearance while en route. Contributing to the accident were clouds and mountainous terrain.
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Browse: California · Cessna aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
