What happened
A flight operating on behalf of the 28th Squadron, based out of Oxnard, was engaged in a training mission when the accident occurred. After performing several touch-and-go maneuvers at Palmdale Airport, the aircraft proceeded toward George Airbase in Victorville. During the return leg to Oxnard, the captain requested and received authorization from air traffic control to divert to Ventura Airport for the purpose of conducting instrument approaches.
While descending under visual flight rules (VFR) during nighttime operations, the pilot was notified of two consecutive cloud layers situated at 3,000 feet and 5,000 feet. The crew was instructed to provide a report upon passing the final marker. Approximately five minutes after this communication, the aircraft impacted trees and crashed roughly 7 miles southwest of Newhall. The accident resulted in three fatalities and three survivors. The surviving crew members spent the night following the impact before being able to seek assistance at approximately 06:30 local time.
Findings
While an official determination has not been finalized, investigators believe the primary factor was that the pilot-in-command descended at an insufficient altitude, potentially in an attempt to maintain visual contact with the terrain.