Cessna 310I N8087M

Summary

On 17 September 1989 at about 10:20 local time, a Cessna 310I registered N8087M, operated by Whitesides, Homer T., was involved in an accident near Hesperia, California, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

17 September 1989 at 10:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Hesperia, California, United States

Coordinates

34.3595, -117.3204

Aircraft

Cessna 310I

Registration

N8087M

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Whitesides, Homer T.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Apple Valley → Riverside

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

DEN89FA218

2 people died.

THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT CONTINUED VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC) AND MISJUDGED HIS ALTITUDE ABOVE THE TERRAIN. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: THE PILOT'S LACK OF INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE, PRESSURE INDUCED BY HIS WIFE (THE PASSENGER) TO TAKE THE FLIGHT, DARK NIGHT, WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PLT & HIS WIFE DEPARTED APPLE VALLEY ARPT AT 0310 PDT ON A FLT TO RIVERSIDE, CA. AT APRX 0320, TWO TRUCK DRIVERS SAW THE ACFT FLYING AT LOW ALT TOWARD CAJON PASS (ELEV 4120 FT MSL). SUBSEQUENTLY, THE TRUCK DRIVERS SAW THE ACFT BURST INTO FLAMES WHEN IT CRASHED. ALTHOUGH THE PREVAILING WX AT APPLE VALLEY & RIVERSIDE WERE RPRTD TO BE VMC, THE TRUCK DRIVERS SAID THE WX AT CAJON PASS WAS SHROUDED IN FOG & DRIZZLE. THE PLT WAS NOT INSTRUMENT RATED. FRIENDS OF THE PLT & HIS WIFE SAID THAT HE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE WX, BUT SHE WAS ANXIOUS TO RETURN TO RIVERSIDE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.