Thursday, August 23, 2018

Instructor and student pilot died after their 1968 Champion 7KCAB plane operated by Three Point Partners, Inc. of Santee, CA crashed in a rugged area in Descanso, California





Wreckage of small plane discovered in Descanso 


August 23, 2018


SAN DIEGO (NEWS 8) - 


The wreckage of a small plane has been discovered in Descanso. It was found in the area of Conejos Valley Road Thursday.

The single engine plane was supposed to land at Gillespie Field Wednesday night, but never did.

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department says they found wreckage of the missing plane in a rugged area in Descanso.

When the plane didn’t arrive at Gillespie Field, the Sheriff’s Department aired an overdue aircraft advisory message, which gave the tail number as #N1682G with two people on board, possibly a student and instructor.

Just before 9 pm Wednesday night, Gillespie Field reported to Sheriffs that the single-engine Champion CH7B plane had fallen off radar. Sheriffs dispatched their helicopter to start searching for the plane along its flight plan.

Around 1:30 Thursday morning they found what could be possible plane wreckage in a rugged area of Descanso, near three sisters Falls. The area is near 17 miles north-east of the airport.

Once the sun came out, it was clear that, that was the plane that crashed, with two people on board.

The FAA and NTSB are investigating. Neither agency identified the people involved in aircraft accident.



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Narrative:
The missing plane crashed under unknown circumstances. The aircraft was discovered by rescuers in a rugged area the day after at 01:30 LT.
The both occupants, possibly a student and instructor, were found dead.

Sources:
http://www.cbs8.com/story/38946448/wreckage-of-small-plane-discovered-in-descanso
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https://fr.flightaware.com/resources/registration/N1682G
Date: 22-AUG-2018
Time:

Type:
Champion 7KCAB
Owner/operator: Three Point Partners INC
Registration: N1682G
C/n / msn: 137
Fatalities: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities: 0
Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location: near three sisters Falls, Descanso,CA - United States of America
Phase: En route
Nature: Training
Departure airport:

Destination airport: Gillespie Field 


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This plane had been involved in another crash in 2008.  Here is the NTSB report.


NTSB Identification: MIA08CA095
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Wednesday, April 23, 2008 in Alexander City, AL
Probable Cause Approval Date: 05/28/2008
Aircraft: Champion 7KCAB, registration: N1682G
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.
 
NTSB investigators used data provided by various entities, including, but not limited to, the Federal Aviation Administration and/or the operator and did not travel in support of this investigation to prepare this aircraft accident report.

The pilot stated that he was conducting a personal flight with the owner of the airplane. The owner did not have any flight time in make and model. The airplane had a pre-buy inspection conducted two days before the accident and no anomalies were noted. The pilot conducted a preflight inspection before the flight and no anomalies were noted. The pilot and the owner departed on runway 36 and remained in a left closed traffic pattern. The pilot made a three-point landing in the first 1,000 feet of the runway, and was on the landing roll out, when the tailwheel started to shimmy. He applied forward pressure on the control stick and raised the tailwheel off the runway. The shimmy ceased and the pilot applied aft pressure on the control stick and lowered the tail wheel onto the runway. The airplane immediately veered to the right. The pilot applied left brake and rudder, but the airplane continued to the right off the right side of the runway and collided with a ditch. The right main landing gear separated and the right wing received structural damage. Examination of the airplane revealed the right spring on the tailwheel control had separated from the rudder and the tailwheel attachment. The tailwheel spring was located about 20 feet off the right side of the runway and there was no visible damage to the tailwheel spring or the upper and lower attachments points. The previous owner stated that he informed the new owner of the tendency for the tailwheel to shimmy during the three-point landings.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
  • The separation of the right tail wheel spring on landing roll out for undetermined reasons, resulting in a loss of directional control and collision with a ditch.