Investigators Continue Search For Clues
Authorities have identified the names of four people killed in
this weekend's midair collision of two single-engine aircraft near
Corona Municipal Airport in Southern California, and a fifth victim
on the ground.
Media reports identify the victims onboard the two aircraft as
Scott Gayle Lawrence, 55, of Cerritos; Paul Luther Carlson, 73, of
Cerritos; Anthony Joel Guzman, 20, of Hesperia; and Brandon William
Johnson, 24, of Costa Mesa.
Coroner's office personnel did not say which persons were aboard
each aircraft, nor did they say who was flying the two planes. As ANN reported, a Cessna 172
and Cessna 150 collided Sunday afternoon over the Los Angeles
suburb, about one mile southwest of the airport.
Officials also identified the fifth victim of the accident. Earl
Smiddy, 58, was killed when a piece of falling debris from the
accident fell through the roof of Corona Chevrolet.
Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board and
the Federal Aviation Administration were to examine the rooftops of
other buildings in the area Tuesday, to search for more clues in
the accident. FAA Spokesman Ian Gregor told KTTV-11 officials "have
to rely on witness statements and the physical wreckage" to
determine what happened, as neither plane was apparently in contact
with air traffic control.
One witness, Lourdes Fajardo of Corona, said she watched as the
planes flew towards each other.
"One (pilot) had to see the other one -- why didn't one dive up
or dive down -- they just hit," she said. "One ... broke into
pieces and the one heading north went straight down ... whoever was
in the planes, you see them flying, you see them colliding and you
know there are people in there."
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 4008V
Make/Model: C150 Description: 150,
A150, Commuter, Aerobat
Date: 01/20/2008 Time: 2335
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury:
Fatal Mid Air: Y Missing:
N
Damage: Destroyed
LOCATION
City: CORONA State: CA Country:
US
DESCRIPTION
N4008V, A CESSNA C150 AIRCRAFT AND N737EJ, A CESSNA C175N
AIRCRAFT COLLIDED
IN MIDAIR, AIRCRAFT DEBRIS STRUCK TWO CAR DEALERSHIPS AND A
VEHICLE, FIVE
PERSONS WERE FATALLY INJURED, TWO PERSONS FROM EACH AIRCRAFT
AND ONE PERSON
ON THE GROUND, ONE MILE SOUTH OF CORONA, CA
INJURY DATA Total
Fatal: 3
# Crew: 2 Fat:
2 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
# Pass: 0 Fat:
0 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
# Grnd:
Fat: 1 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
WEATHER: AJO 0023Z 250/08 10 CLR 15/02 A2991
OTHER DATA
Activity: Unknown Phase:
Unknown Operation: OTHER
FAA FSDO: RIVERSIDE, CA
(WP21)
Entry date: 01/22/2008
NTSB Prelim: Piper PA-23
See All