There Are No Known Witnesses To The Accident Sequence

Location: Redlands, CA Accident Number: WPR20LA169
Date & Time: 06/05/2020, 0801 PDT Registration: N9217B
Aircraft: Cessna 175 Injuries: 3 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal

On July 5, 2020, about 0801 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 175, N9217B, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Redlands, California. The pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

Recorded Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) showed that the airplane departed Big Bear City Airport (L35), Big Bear City, California at 0745, and proceeded southwesterly as it ascended to 9,300 ft mean sea level (msl). At 0751:36, the airplane began a descent followed by a left turn to a southeasterly heading; about 3 minutes, 12 seconds later, the airplane descended through 7,200 ft msl.

About 3 minutes later, a right turn to a southerly heading was observed about 5,150 ft msl. At 0758:29, a left 270° turn was observed at 5,125 ft msl. The data showed that the airplane completed the turn at 0759:15, on a west-northwesterly heading at 5,275 ft msl. About one minute later, a left turn to a southwesterly heading at 3,975 ft msl was observed. The airplane remained on a southwesterly heading and continued to descend until ADS-B contact was lost at 0800:58, at an altitude of 2,775 ft, about 436 ft northeast of the accident site.

There are no known witnesses to the accident sequence. San Bernardino County Sheriff Air Units located the wreckage at 1630.

Examination of the accident site by a FAA inspector revealed that the airplane impacted terrain on a southwesterly heading. The wreckage debris path was about 80 ft in length and contained all major structural components of the airplane. The wreckage was recovered to a secure location.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov