NTSB Identification: LAX04FA002
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, October 03, 2003 in East Highlands, CA
Aircraft: Lockheed P2V, registration: N299MA
Injuries: 2 Fatal.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.
On October 3, 2003, at 1116 Pacific daylight time, a Lockheed P2V, N299MA, collided with terrain while maneuvering near East Highlands, California. Minden Air Corporation was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The airline transport pilot (ATP) licensed first pilot and the ATP rated copilot sustained fatal injuries; the airplane was destroyed. The cross-country positioning flight departed Prescott, Arizona, at 0947, en route to San Bernardino, California. Visual instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at March Air Force Base, which was the nearest official reporting station. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the accident site. A company visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan had been filed. The primary wreckage was at 34 degrees 08.324 minutes north latitude and 117 degrees 05.7 minutes west longitude.
Two observers were in a forest lookout tower (elevation about 7,900 feet) that was north of the accident site. One of the observers held a commercial pilot certificate with an instrument rating. They saw a cloud layer as far to the south as they could see. They used visual cues to estimate that the cloud tops were around 5,000 feet. They noted that the clouds did not extend all the way up into the mountain canyons; the clouds broke up near the head of some canyons.
When the pilot observer first saw the airplane, he assumed it came from above the clouds. It was proceeding from the south up a canyon near the edge of the clouds where they were breaking up. Both observers said that they were definitely looking down at the airplane the whole time. They saw the airplane make a 180-degree turn. The pilot observer described the turn as steeper than a standard rate turn. The wings leveled and the airplane went through one cloud, reappeared briefly, and then entered the cloud layer. It appeared to be descending.
About 2 minutes later, the observers saw the top of the cloud layer bulge and turn a darker color. The bulge began to subside and they observed several smaller bulges appear. They notified local authorities that they thought a plane was down.
Searchers discovered the wreckage about 1300. The wreckage and surrounding vegetation were on fire. The initial responders reported that the area was cloudy and the visibility was low.
The accident site was in mountainous terrain about 3,400 feet mean sea level (msl). The debris path was along a magnetic bearing of 260 degrees. The first identified point of contact (FIPC) was on a hillside, which had bushes with the tops cutoff and limbs broken off in the direction of the debris path. The hillside sloped 45 degrees downhill (left to right) looking in the direction of the debris path.
The main wreckage consisted of wing sections, four engines, instruments, and other debris.
