Many witnesses saw the PA-60 hit the hillside near Scottsdale (AZ) on Sunday evening. It was after 8PM, and in the last bit of dusk, the airplane was barely visible, until, for reasons unknown, it fetched up against the peaks in the McDowell group.

Both people aboard the airplane were killed.

A huge fireball ensued, and that fire was seen for miles. Many said that the mountain itself appeared to have ignited; one (from the Fire Department) actually told news reporters that, "a fireball hit the mountain." For the record, there was no report of a pre-crash fire. The investigation will, no doubt, tell us more.

**   Report created 1/27/03   Record 7  **
IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 3636Q        Make/Model: AEST      Description: PA-60 AEROSTAR
  Date: 01/27/2003     Time: 0330
  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Destroyed
LOCATION
  City: SCOTTSDALE   State: AZ   Country: US
DESCRIPTION
  ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES AT THE 3600 FOOT LEVEL OF MCDOWELL MOUNTAIN, 2 POB WERE FATALLY INJURIED, SCOTTSDALE, AZ
INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   2
                 # Crew:  1     Fat:   1     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   1     Fat:   1     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
WEATHER: UNK
OTHER DATA
  Activity: Pleasure      Phase: Unknown      Operation: General Aviation
  Departed: UNK                         Dep Date:    Dep. Time:
  Destination: UNK                      Flt Plan: NONE         Wx Briefing: N
  Last Radio Cont: UNK
  Last Clearance: UNK
  FAA FSDO: SCOTTSDALE, AZ  (WP07)                Entry date: 01/27/2003