San Diego plane crash

1/2 mile visibility….200’ ceiling…why even attempt this?

 

Runway lights weren't working, either. What could go wrong?

 

Cessna Citation II - Wikipedia

 

Something tells me that this may have been a classic case of “Getthereitis”-which has caused MANY an aviation accident!

 

Or overconfidence...."Yeah, I've flown this route many times and in similar weather. We're good."
Wonder how many hours he had in that type aircraft?
His alternate had slightly better visibility but only a 300' ceiling. Surprised he didn't have another alternate or just turn around.
Wonder why its not equipped with a flight data recorder. Because it's a private jet?

 

This happened at night and after a long cross-country flight. The ASOS was out of service. That Cessna Jet was not even authorized to make that approach. If you take a look at the bottom of this approach plate, you will see that under the category C aircraft are the letters NA. The Cessna Citation is a Category C aircraft. There was nothing wrong with the runway lights. They are pilot-controlled by "keying" the push-to-talk button rapidly. The pilot was not authorized to fly that approach in those weather conditions. On the glidepath is a high elevation with power lines. The aircraft struck those lines.

Getthereitus is deadly in both Aviation as well as Trucking. That pilot should have while refueling in Kansas should have gotten a good weather report and just stayed there that night.


The Google Street View is from a park about a 1/2 mile from Sample Street where the plane crashed. In the distance, you can see the powerlines that the plane clipped.

 

Private jets with a capacity of 10 or more passengers are mandated to have flight data recorders. But because this particular aircraft type (Cessna Citation II)only seats 6 to 8 passengers it may have been exempt.
https://nbaa.org/aircraft-operation...orders/flight-data-recorder-fdr-requirements/

 

I did not check, but I think the Cessna Citation flown in this crash is approved for single-pilot operation. I doubt a ####pit voice recorder would give any information other than maybe an oh (redacted) near the end. The ATC displays and the data blocks already give us the altitudes and speeds. One piece of information the NTSB could use was the Jets altimeter setting.

In the approach plate link I posted in my last comment, look toward the bottom right. Just above the category A B C D. You see a line sloping down from right to left with marks on it named "Nesty" "Penyy", and "Palos" next to them, you see numbers with lines under them. Those lines are minimum altitudes at those "fixes". The pilot was flying an approach that category of aircraft was PROHIBITED from flying in that weather. Also, the pilot DID NOT have the current altimeter setting for that area. Transponders on the aircraft automatically send altitude data for a standard 29.92 pressure, and the ATC system converts that to the current setting of the major airport in the area. This altitude displayed on the ATC screen may or may not be the actual altitude set in the jet's altimeter. Just a series of mistakes going back to Kansas when the decision was made to continue.

 

Or, they could have landed in Orange County and taken a 1 1/2 hour limo ride to San Diego depending on what the weather was there. Like you said, a case of getthereitis.