Accident
On June 5, 2020, at about 0801 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 175, registration N9217B, was substantially damaged when it crashed near Redlands, California. The pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. The flight was conducted as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
Flight Path and ADS-B Data
Recorded automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) showed the airplane departed Big Bear City Airport (L35) in Big Bear City, California, at about 0745. It proceeded southwesterly, climbing to 9,300 ft mean sea level (msl). At 0751:36, the airplane began to descend and turned left to a southeasterly heading. About 6 minutes and 12 seconds later, it turned right to a southerly heading at approximately 5,150 ft msl. It then entered a left 270° turn, completing it at about 5,275 ft msl. About one minute later, a left turn to a southwesterly heading at 3,975 ft msl occurred. The airplane continued southwesterly, descending until ADS-B contact was lost at 0800:58 at an altitude of 2,775 ft, approximately 436 ft northeast of the accident site.
Wreckage and Examination
No witnesses to the accident are known. San Bernardino County Sheriff Air Units located the wreckage at about 1630. An FAA inspector examined the site and determined the airplane impacted hilly terrain on a southwesterly heading at an elevation of 2,874 ft. The debris path measured about 80 ft and contained all major structural components. Postaccident examination of the recovered airframe and engine found no evidence of preexisting mechanical malfunction that would have precluded normal operation.
Pilot Information
The pilot did not hold a valid pilot certificate at the time of the accident. The most recent FAA medical certificate was issued in 1994. The pilot's logbooks were not located.
Weather Conditions
A high-resolution rapid refresh numerical model of the accident area, plotted using RAOB software, indicated nimbostratus clouds from the lifted condensation level and level of free convection at 41 ft above ground level (agl) (2,797 ft msl) to 4,350 ft msl, with light rain and mist.
The closest weather reporting station was San Bernardino International Airport (SBD). March Air Reserve Base (RIV), about 14 miles southwest of the accident site at 1,536 ft elevation, reported at 0758: wind calm, visibility 3 miles, light drizzle and mist, overcast ceiling at 400 ft agl, temperature 16°C, dew point 15°C, and altimeter 29.84 inHg.
The Terminal Aerodrome Forecast for the area, issued at 0427, forecast marginal VFR conditions from 0500 through 1000: wind variable at 3 knots, visibility better than 6 miles, and overcast ceiling at 1,400 ft agl.
A search of the FAA automated flight service station contractor Leidos found no contact with the pilot for a weather briefing on the accident day, nor any third-party requests for weather data or flight plan filings. It is unknown what information the pilot used to familiarize himself with forecast conditions.
Autopsy and Toxicology
The San Bernardino County Coroner performed the pilot's autopsy, listing the cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries. Toxicology testing at the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory detected 11 mg/dl of ethanol in muscle and unspecified amounts of Lamotrigine in liver and muscle. Lamotrigine (marketed as Lamictal) is a prescription drug used for seizure disorders, bipolar disorder, and migraine prevention. It may cause dizziness, sleepiness, and central nervous system depression; users are advised not to operate machinery until they know how it affects them. It can also cause dangerous heartbeat disturbances in those with underlying heart disease. Lamotrigine use is generally disqualifying for FAA medical certification. Ethanol can impair judgment and psychomotor performance; it may also be produced postmortem by microbes.