Were Flying To KONT; Second Accident In Area In Past Year

Two men who made their living selling aircraft have been identified as the victims of Tuesday's accident involving a company-owned Cessna 208B Caravan near Yucaipa, CA.

Steve O'Neill, Cessna's Western US Regional Sales Manager for the Caravan, and Pacific Aircraft Sales Inc. President Rick Voorhis. Pacific Aircraft Sales is an authorized sales representative for Cessna. The two were believed to be flying to Ontario, CA to demonstrate the accident aircraft to a prospective buyer.

"Our thoughts, prayers and sympathies are with the families and friends of those lost in this tragic event. We are assisting these family members in every way we can, and we ask that all Cessnans join together in providing the support that's so important in this time of need," Cessna Chairman, President and CEO Jack Pelton said in a written statement.

As Aero-News reported Wednesday, the Caravan (file photo of type, below) went down Tuesday afternoon near the Oak Glen Conservation Camp in the San Bernardino National Forest. Inmates at the camp saw the aircraft flying low, and said it sounded like the aircraft was having engine problems.

A local rancher who was feeding his livestock also saw the aircraft.

"It was flying low, not high enough to clear the mountain," said longtime Oak Glen resident Robert Law to the Ontario Daily Bulletin. "If the plane had turned, it would have made it, but they probably didn't know the area."

More than 80 people from the county's search-and-rescue team and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection set out Tuesday night to find the aircraft, but were forced to delay the search due to fog and snow at the accident site.

Crews reached the wreckage Wednesday morning, and the NTSB is currently investigating the cause of the accident.

Tuesday's accident was the second plane crash in the area in just over a year. In February 2005, a Piper Cherokee went down on a steep slope just west of Oak Glen. A flight instructor and two students onboard the plane were lost.

**   Report created 3/30/2006   Record 2
*****************************************

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 208WE        Make/Model: C208      Description: 208 Caravan 1, (Super)Cargomaster, Grand
  Date: 03/29/2006     Time: 0055

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Unknown

LOCATION
  City: YUCAIPA   State: CA   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES INTO A MOUNTAINOUS AREA, ACFT WAS
  THE SUBJECT OF AN ALERT NOTICE, UNKNOWN NUMBER OF PERSONS ON BOARD, THREE
  ASSUMED FATAL ON BOARD, WRECKAGE LOCATED 25 MILES WEST OF PALM SPRINGS,
  YUCAIPA, CA

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   2
                 # Crew:   2     Fat:   2     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   0
                 # Pass:   1     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   1
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: PALM SPRINGS WX BKN 7500, BKN 9000

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Unknown      Operation: General Aviation

  Departed:                             Dep Date:    Dep. Time:     
  Destination: ONTARIO, CA              Flt Plan:              Wx Briefing: 
  Last Radio Cont:
  Last Clearance: 

  FAA FSDO: RIVERSIDE, CA  (WP21)                 Entry date: 03/30/2006

FMI: www.ntsb.gov