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

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.ntsb.gov