What happened
On the early morning of October 24, 2004, a Learjet 35A operated by Med Flight Air Ambulance, Inc. crashed into a mountain range shortly after departing from Brown Field Municipal Airport (SDM) in the San Diego area. The aircraft, registered as N30DK, was performing a repositioning flight under instrument flight rules (IFR) as the final leg of a multi-day mission.
The flight departed the airfield at approximately 00:23 Pacific daylight time. During the initial climb phase, the aircraft struck mountainous terrain. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the plane and caused five fatalities, including the pilot, the copilot, and three medical staff members on board. At the time of the accident, the weather conditions were characterized by night visual meteorological conditions.
Findings
No specific contributing factors or official conclusions regarding the crash were provided in the source material.