Wreckage Located By Sheriff Helo On Routine Patrol

A rented 1977 Piper Cherokee PA28 took off from Montgomery Field in San Diego for a scheduled hour-long flight Friday, and never made it to its destination.

The family members of the two men on board contacted authorities Saturday after learning it did not arrive, and that the pilot's vehicle was still parked at the airport, said Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson Ian Gregor.

The wreckage was located by a sheriff's helicopter crew on routine patrol Saturday around noon about 20 miles northeast of El Cajon, authorities said, according to the Associated Press.

Deputies hiked deep into the canyon Sunday near Three Sisters Falls and were able to recover the bodies.

Although their identities have not been released, the medical examiner's office said the two were active duty servicemen in the US Navy.

The PA-28 was rented from National Air College, Inc., a flight-training school out of MYF, according to owner and operator Nug Madariaga.  The two on board were not training with the school.

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 38137        Make/Model: PA28      Description: PA-28 CHEROKEE, ARROW, WARRIOR, ACHER, D
  Date: 07/14/2007     Time: 2000

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

LOCATION
  City: SAN DIEGO   State: CA   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, THE TWO PERSONS ON BOARD WERE
  FATALLY INJURED, HILLY TERRAIN NORTH OF SAN DIEGO, CA

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

WEATHER: NOT REPORTED

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Pleasure      Phase: Unknown      Operation: OTHER

  FAA FSDO: SAN DIEGO, CA  (WP09)                 Entry date: 07/16/2007

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.sandiego.gov/airports/montgomery, www.nationalaircollege.com