Monday, February 27, 2017

Cessna T310Q, N1246G: Fatal accident occurred February 27, 2017 near Riverside Municipal Airport (KRAL), Riverside County, California

The National Transportation Safety Board traveled to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entities: 

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office: Riverside, California 
Continental Motors, Inc.; Mobile, Alabama 
Textron Aviation; Wichita, Kansas

Aviation Accident Factual Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf


Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms

http://registry.faa.gov/N1246G 

Location: Riverside, CA
Accident Number: WPR17FA066
Date & Time: 02/27/2017, 1641 PST
Registration: N1246G
Aircraft: CESSNA T310Q
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Defining Event: Aerodynamic stall/spin
Injuries: 4 Fatal, 1 Serious
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal 

On February 27, 2017, about 1641 Pacific standard time, a Cessna T310Q, N1246G, was destroyed when it collided with multiple residences after departure from Riverside Municipal Airport (RAL), Riverside, California. The airline transport pilot and three passengers were fatally injured; one passenger received serious injuries. The airplane was registered to the pilot who operated the airplane under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed for the personal cross-country flight that was destined for Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC), San Jose, California.

According to the surviving passenger, she was invited by an acquaintance to fly in the airplane to southern California as both their daughters were scheduled to participate in a competition. On February 24, 2017, the group completed an uneventful flight from SJC to RAL. According to receipts and witnesses, on February 25, 2017, the pilot returned to RAL and had the airplane fully refueled; the pilot also purchased several terminal instrument procedure charts and en route low altitude charts.

The group returned to RAL about 1200 on the day of the accident and loaded the airplane with their bags. According to the surviving passenger, they boarded the airplane, and the pilot started the right engine but was unable to start the left engine. They deplaned and went into the airport terminal. After waiting for some time, they again tried to depart but had to return to the terminal. The passenger was not sure if the problem was "not being able to start the engine or the weather is bad." The surviving passenger inquired about the problem with the pilot's wife, who was also a passenger on the airplane; the wife became anxious and started to put pressure on the pilot to depart. After the surviving passenger offered to rent a car, the pilot's wife insisted that they would return to SJC in the airplane.

According to an airport operations employee, he saw the pilot and passengers walk to the airplane and then heard the pilot on the RAL ground control frequency requesting a visual flight rules (VFR) clearance to SJC. The operations employee reported that he heard an air traffic controller cancel the pilot's VFR flight plan and ask the pilot to file an IFR flight plan. The operations employee observed the pilot and passengers exit the airplane and return to the terminal.

The pilot asked an employee of a flight school that had an office in the terminal building if he could help him file an IFR flight plan. The flight school employee instructed the pilot to call "1-800-wxbrief," and the pilot wrote down the number. According to the flight school employee, the pilot appeared rushed. After the pilot left his office and exited the building, the flight school employee went into the hallway where the passengers were sitting and spoke with them. The passengers were "anxious to get home," and one of the passengers said that she needed to be at work the following morning. During this time, another passenger began making alternate transportation arrangements. The pilot then contacted a flight service station and filed an IFR flight plan.

The pilot and passengers boarded the airplane for the third time, and the pilot started the engines and contacted the ground controller. About 1602, the pilot requested and was granted an IFR clearance to SJC; he did not read back the entire clearance and advised the ground controller that he was not familiar with the airport obstacle departure procedure. The ground controller reissued the IFR clearance, and the pilot requested to standby. About 7 minutes later, the pilot made a request to taxi for departure, and the ground controller prompted him to read back the IFR clearance. After the ground controller again reissued the IFR clearance, the pilot read back the clearance correctly.

About 1615, the ground controller issued taxi instructions, which the pilot read back incorrectly. After the controller reissued the taxi instructions slowly, the pilot read them back correctly. At 1632, while in the run-up area, the pilot read back the obstacle departure procedure correctly and subsequently advised the tower controller that he was ready for departure. The tower controller then issued holding instructions to await the airplane's IFR release, and the pilot acknowledged the communication without repeating the hold short instructions. At 1638, the pilot received a takeoff clearance from the tower controller.

The airport operations employee saw the airplane's departure and reported that, after an uneventful liftoff and initial climb, the airplane began a left turn as it entered the clouds (reported ceiling 600 ft). Radar data captured the airplane at 1639:50, just beyond the runway's midfield point at an altitude of about 1,100 ft mean sea level (msl) or about 300 ft above ground level (agl). At 1640:08 and at an altitude of 1,300 ft msl, the airplane turned left to a heading of 070° magnetic. The airplane maintained the same heading until radar contact was lost at 1640:27 at an altitude of 1,700 ft msl (about 900 ft agl). No distress calls were received from the pilot.

The surviving passenger recalled that the airplane shook during climb out, but she could hear the engines running continuously. The airplane entered a cloud and then began to vibrate violently as it started to descend. The vibration was accompanied by a horn sound, which the surviving passenger later identified as the airplane's stall warning horn after hearing an exemplary one. The surviving passenger reported that although she was not focused on the engines for the remainder of the flight, she did not recall any interruptions in power. Further, she observed the pilot manipulating the controls during the descent to impact.

The end of the flight was captured by a surveillance video camera located about 800 ft north of the accident site. The video showed the airplane descending rapidly towards the ground in a slight left wing-low attitude. The airplane's nose attitude could not be determined due to the quality of the video. The airplane disappeared behind a residence, immediately thereafter fire and smoke appeared.

Pilot Information

Certificate: Airline Transport; Flight Instructor; Commercial
Age: 83, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Multi-engine Land; Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: Unknown
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane
Second Pilot Present: Yes
Instructor Rating(s): Airplane Single-engine; Instrument Airplane
Toxicology Performed: Yes
Medical Certification: Class 2 With Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 10/13/2016
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time: 

The 83-year-old pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land and commercial privileges for airplane multi-engine land. He also held a flight instructor certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, airplane multi-engine land, and instrument airplane. The pilot's most recent second-class medical certificate was issued on October 13, 2016, and included the restriction that he must wear corrective lenses. At the time of the exam, the pilot reported that he had accumulated 9,600 hours of flight experience of which 21 hours were in the previous 6 months. An excerpt of the pilot's personal flight record, which covered 2008, was furnished by the family. His most recent flight logbooks were not recovered. It could not be determined when the pilot had last flown in instrument meteorological conditions or when he had last completed an instrument competency check. 

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: CESSNA
Registration: N1246G
Model/Series: T310Q Q
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1974
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: 310Q1097
Landing Gear Type: Retractable - Tricycle
Seats: 5
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 02/01/2017, Annual
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 5500 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 2 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 4830.5 Hours as of last inspection
Engine Manufacturer: Continental Motors, Inc.
ELT: Installed, not activated
Engine Model/Series: TSIO-520 J
Registered Owner: On file
Rated Power: 310 hp
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None 

According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records, the airplane was manufactured in 1974 and registered to the pilot and his wife on September 25, 2007. The airplane was powered by two Continental TSIO-520 J, turbocharged, direct-drive, air-cooled, 310-horsepower engines. A review of the airplane's maintenance logbooks revealed that the most recent annual inspection was completed on February 1, 2017, at an accumulated flight time of 4,830 hours. At the time of annual inspection, both the left and right engines had accrued about 1,265.1 flight hours since their most recent overhauls.

The airplane was equipped with two main wing fuel tanks with a total capacity of 102 gallons and two auxiliary wingtip tanks with a total capacity of 63 gallons. According to a fuel station attendant who worked for the fixed base operator at RAL, on February 25, 2017, he fueled the airplane at the pilot's request. The attendant topped off each of the airplane's four fuel tanks adding a total of 54 gallons of 100LL aviation gasoline. A fuel sample taken by an FAA inspector from the fuel truck that was used to refuel the airplane did not show any evidence of water or debris contamination.

Weight and Balance

An airplane weight and balance estimate was computed using occupant weights from the autopsy reports and from the surviving passenger. The baggage weight was determined by weighing an assortment of personal effects and baggage recovered from the accident site. The computed total weight was 5,812 pounds (lbs), which was 312 lbs over the airplane's maximum allowable gross weight of 5,500 lbs. The manufacturer does not provide center of gravity (CG) limits for weights above gross weight; the computed CG of 36.82 inches was forward of the forward limit of 38.67 inches at gross weight. Figure 1 shows the airplane weight and balance estimate plotted on the manufacturer's published CG moment envelope diagram from the pilot's operating handbook (POH).


Figure 1 - Airplane Center of Gravity Moment Envelope Plotted with Main & Auxiliary Tanks at Full Capacity

According to the FAA Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3B), the flight characteristics of a multi-engine airplane will vary significantly with shifts of the CG within the approved envelope. At forward CGs within the envelope, the airplane will be more stable, with a slightly higher stalling speed, a slightly lower cruising speed, and favorable stall characteristics. However, the airplane's performance outside the performance envelope cannot be predicted.

Stall Characteristics

According to the POH, the airplane's stall speed was 75 knots with no bank and 78 knots with 20° of bank.

Fuel Consumption

Climb and endurance performance computations performed using the airplane POH indicated that the airplane would have burned about 12 gallons of fuel during a climb to 12,000 ft, which was the pilot's filed cruising altitude, and contained enough fuel to fly about 790 nautical miles (nm) at the pilot's reported cruise airspeed of 160 kts. The distance from RAL to SJC was about 300 nm. 

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Instrument Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: RAL, 818 ft msl
Distance from Accident Site: 1 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 1637 PST
Direction from Accident Site: 270°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Scattered / 600 ft agl
Visibility:  2 Miles
Lowest Ceiling: Overcast / 4200 ft agl
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts:  Calm /
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual: /
Wind Direction:
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual: /
Altimeter Setting: 29.82 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 11°C / 11°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: Light - Rain; Moderate - Mist
Departure Point: RIVERSIDE, CA (RAL)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: IFR
Destination: SAN JOSE, CA (SJC)
Type of Clearance: IFR
Departure Time: 1640 PST
Type of Airspace: 

In the hours before the accident, IFR conditions prevailed at RAL due to low visibilities and ceilings. A review of the RAL weather observations indicated that rain began at 1152 and continued through 1653, with very light precipitation and mist about the time of the accident. Review of weather radar imagery showed that a small area of precipitation associated with very light intensity echoes was present at 1640 immediately north of the accident site.

The 1600 recorded weather observation at RAL included wind calm, visibility 2 miles in light rain and mist, ceiling overcast at 700 ft agl, temperature and dew point 11°C, and an altimeter setting of 29.83 inches of mercury.

The 1637 recorded weather observation at RAL included wind calm, visibility 2 miles in light rain and mist, scattered clouds at 600 ft agl, overcast ceiling at 4,200 ft agl, temperature and dew point 11°C, and an altimeter setting of 29.82 inches of mercury.

A terminal aerodrome weather forecast for Ontario International Airport (ONT), Ontario, California, located about 10 nm southeast of RAL, was issued at 1302 and was valid for a 27-hour period beginning at 1300. The forecast valid for the time of the accident expected marginal VFR conditions to prevail with light and variable winds at 4 knots or less, visibility of 5 miles in light rain showers and mist, with scattered clouds at 1,500 ft agl, and a ceiling broken at 2,500 ft. The next scheduled forecast for ONT was issued at 1537 and continued to expect marginal VFR conditions to prevail with light and variable winds, visibility 3 miles in light rain and mist, with a ceiling overcast at 1,000 ft agl.

Records obtained from a private industry flight service station indicated that when the pilot filed his IFR flight plan, he was in possession of adverse weather information indicating that he had already acquired the information through personal means. The pilot's personal weather source was not determined. 

Airport Information

Airport: RIVERSIDE MUNI (RAL)
Runway Surface Type: N/A
Airport Elevation: 818 ft
Runway Surface Condition: Unknown
Runway Used: N/A
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width:
VFR Approach/Landing: None

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Passenger Injuries: 3 Fatal, 1 Serious
Aircraft Fire: On-Ground
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 4 Fatal, 1 Serious
Latitude, Longitude: 33.953889, -117.418611 

The accident site was located in a residential area about 1 nm northeast of RAL at an elevation of about 800 ft. The initial impact point (IIP) was identified by a broken chimney and a section of airframe located on the roof of house No. 1 (H-1 in the wreckage diagram located in the NTSB public docket). Multiple airplane fragments were found along the debris path, which was oriented on a heading of about 345° magnetic. House No. 2 (H-2) was located about 50 ft from the IIP and was consumed by postcrash fire. The airplane's main wreckage was found in a bedroom on the southwest end of house No. 3 (H-3) about 100 ft from the IIP. The main wreckage was comprised of the cabin, both engines, portions of the left and right wings, and the left propeller, which was underneath the main wreckage, which was consumed by postcrash fire.

The aileron flight controls were traced from the control column to the right-wing bell crank, where the cables had separated. Both push/pull tubes were continuous from the right-wing bell crank to the right aileron. Left aileron continuity was traced from the cockpit to the left-wing root where the cable had separated and displayed signatures consistent with overload separation. An intermediate segment of left aileron control cable was not recovered. The push/pull tubes remained attached to the bell crank but had separated from the left aileron.

Rudder control was traced from the rudder pedals to the aft fuselage, where the rudder cables had been cut by recovery personnel. The remaining cables were traced from the forward empennage to the rudder bell crank. Elevator control was confirmed from the cockpit to the elevator push/pull tubes, which had separated from both elevator control surfaces. The flap system was continuous from the flap chain to the right- and left-wing bell cranks. Measurement of the elevator trim tab actuator showed that about 1.75 inches of the rod was exposed, consistent with 5° tab up deflection.

The left engine's crankshaft rotated freely, and the valves moved normally with the exception of the exhaust valve on cylinder No. 6, which had sustained crush damage. Thumb compression was achieved on all cylinders in firing order with the exception of cylinder No. 6. A borescope inspection revealed no mechanical deformation on the valves, cylinder walls, or internal cylinder heads. The spark plug center electrodes were elliptical in shape, which corresponded to worn out normal according to the Champion Aviation Check-A-Plug AV-27 Chart. Both magnetos sustained thermal damage; the left magneto was charred, and two posts were partially consumed by postcrash fire. The right magneto produced spark at all posts when rotated with a power tool. The wet vacuum pump vanes were intact and moved freely when the rotor was operated by hand. The oil sump and oil pickup tube exhibited vertical crush damage, and the pickup tube was clean and open. The oil filter sustained thermal damage and did not show any contamination within the folds. Both the oil pump gears and internal housing were unremarkable.

The engine-driven fuel pump drive gear was undamaged; the internal components were unremarkable; and the pump rotated freely by hand. The fuel distributor valve's rubber diaphragm was thermally damaged, and the valve's screen was clean.

The right engine's crankshaft rotated freely, and the valves moved normally. A borescope inspection revealed no mechanical deformation on the valves, cylinder walls, or internal cylinder heads. The spark plug center electrodes were elliptical in shape and gray in color, consistent with worn out normal according to the Champion Aviation Check-A-Plug AV-27 Chart. Both magnetos sustained thermal damage and could not be tested. The wet vacuum pump vanes were intact and moved freely when the rotor was operated by hand. The oil sump was not breached and contained a sludge in the bottom with visible magnetic particles. The oil sump screen appeared undamaged; the governor screen was clean; and the oil filter did not display any visible contaminants within the folds. The engine-driven fuel pump drive gear was undamaged; the internal components were unremarkable; and the pump rotated freely by hand. The fuel distributor valve's rubber diaphragm was partially consumed by fire, and the visible portions of the screen were clean.

Cabin Heater Examination

Examination of the cabin heater assembly showed that the unit's outer shroud was damaged by postcrash fire. The heater fan was also thermally damaged but turned continuously when power was applied to the unit. The heater did not leak when submerged in water and a continuous supply of air was directed into the combustion chamber to pressurize the unit.

Propeller Examinations

The right and left propellers were examined at the manufacturer's facility in Wichita, Kansas. The blades of both propellers displayed bending, twisting, paint scuffing, and leading edge nicks consistent with a medium amount of rotational energy absorption during the impact sequence. The right propeller displayed a sheared latch screw arrowhead; the left propeller exhibited a dent in the cylinder near the feather end; these signatures were consistent with the blades operating on or near the low pitch stop position at impact. 

Medical And Pathological Information

The Sheriff-Coroner of the County of Riverside, Perris, California, conducted an autopsy on the pilot. The cause of death was listed as "multiple blunt impact injuries." The autopsy described an enlarged heart with 70% narrowing of the left anterior descending and right coronary arteries and 40% narrowing of the left circumflex artery. A blood sample taken by the coroner's office detected no drugs of abuse, alcohol, or carbon monoxide.

The FAA's Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, performed toxicology testing on specimens from the pilot, the front right seat passenger, and another passenger. The testing did not identify any drugs or ethanol in the samples that were provided for the pilot's toxicology, and the specimen provided was not sufficient for carbon monoxide analysis. The right front seat passenger's toxicology did not detect carbon monoxide. The other passenger's toxicology detected 21% carbon monoxide; the reason for the passenger's high carbon monoxide level is unknown.

Tests And Research

Right Engine Oil Analysis

A laboratory examination of a sample of the oil sludge found in the right engine revealed the presence of lead and bromine. According to an industry specialist, 100LL aviation gasoline (AVGAS) contains a compound known as tetraethyl lead (TEL), which acts as an octane booster for fuel. TEL decomposes to form lead oxide when the fuel is burned. To prevent electrically conductive lead oxide deposits from forming on the spark plugs, the lead scavenging agent ethylene dibromide is added to AVGAS and reacts with the lead oxide to form lead bromide. The lead bromide remains in the gas phase and exits the cylinder with the exhaust gas. It subsequently enters the oil with the blow-by gas and solidifies, thereby making up the sludge commonly found in aircraft engines.


NTSB Identification: WPR17FA066
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, February 27, 2017 in Riverside, CA
Aircraft: CESSNA T310Q, registration: N1246G
Injuries: 3 Fatal, 2 Serious.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On February 27, 2017, about 1641 Pacific standard time, a Cessna T310Q, N1246G, was destroyed and consumed by postcrash fire during a collision with a residential area following the airplane's departure from Riverside Municipal Airport (RAL), Riverside, California. The airline transport pilot and three passengers were fatally injured and two passengers received serious injuries. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed for the cross-country flight that departed RAL at 1640, and was destined for Norman Y. Mineta Airport San Jose International Airport (SJC), San Jose, California. 

According to witnesses, the pilot and passengers indicated they were returning to their home in SJC at the conclusion of a brief stay in Southern California. The pilot completed a walk-around inspection of the airplane before boarding the flight with the passengers. He started the right engine, and then attempted to start the left engine. After several unsuccessful attempts, the left engine started, and the pilot contacted air traffic control (ATC). A preliminary review of ATC audio revealed that the controller issued an IFR clearance to the pilot multiple times before he repeated the instructions back to the controller correctly. Witnesses that were listening to the pilot's communications with ATC reported that the pilot required progressive taxi instructions to runway 09, the departure runway. Once the pilot reached the runway, the controller read the departure clearance to the pilot, verbatim. After an uneventful runway departure, the airplane began a left turn as it entered the clouds. A portion of the airplane's final moments of flight were captured by a surveillance video, which showed the airplane descend towards the ground in a slight left wing low attitude. The airplane disappeared behind a residence, which was immediately followed by the presence of fire and smoke.

The airplane came to rest in a residential area approximately 1 nautical mile northeast of RAL. The initial impact point (IIP) was identified by a broken chimney and a section of airframe located on the roof of a house. An intermediate impact point was marked by an adjacent house, which was consumed by fire, and set about 50 feet forward of the IIP. The main wreckage, comprised of the aircraft cabin, both engines, portions of the left and right wings, and the left propeller, was found in a bedroom on the southwestern end of a house about 100 feet beyond the IIP. Various sections of the empennage, fuselage, and wings were distributed along the debris path from the IIP to the main wreckage and oriented on a heading of about 345 degrees magnetic. Left wing fragments were distributed throughout the front lawn of a house 75 feet forward of the main wreckage. The left auxiliary tank and a portion of the left main tank came to rest 100 feet beyond the main wreckage on the lawn of another residence. A section of the left main tank was found 200 feet forward of the main wreckage and co-located with the left aileron.


 Cessna T310Q (N1246G) taken on Friday, February 24th, 2017 at the Riverside Municipal Airport (KRAL).


One of two women who survived a plane crash in a Riverside neighborhood last week has died of her injuries, according to her family.

Joanne Stacey Pierce, 46, had been hospitalized for more than a week, and doctors had treated her for severe burns to more than 90% of her body. She also had both legs amputated.

On Tuesday, her injuries became too overwhelming, said her husband, Richard Pierce. The San Jose mother was surrounded by her family as she took her last breaths.

“The burns were too much,” he told The Times on Wednesday. “We are devastated.”

Joanne Stacey Pierce was one of five people aboard a Cessna T310Q on Feb. 27 when it crashed into a Riverside neighborhood shortly after takeoff. Her 67-year-old mother, Dana Hijazi; 83-year-old stepfather, Nouri Hijazi; and family friend Adine Ferales, 22, were killed in the crash. Ferales’ mother, Silvia Ferales, survived the crash, along with Pierce.

The group was returning to San Jose after watching Pierce’s daughter, Brooke, in a cheerleading competition at Disney’s California Adventure in Anaheim, KPIX-TV Channel 5 reported. Pierce’s daughter returned home with friends and was not a passenger on the aircraft.

Richard Pierce told the Bay Area television news station that he had begged his wife to take another flight before takeoff.

Delmy Pennington, co-owner of the D&D Airport Cafe at Riverside Municipal Airport, said she saw the plane struggling to take off before delaying its departure amid heavy rain. After the rain stopped, the private plane took off. But Pennington said she was worried because the back of the plane was shaking as it left the ground.

The plane crashed about 4:40 p.m., causing a large fire that destroyed at least one home and damaged several others.

Joanne Stacey Pierce was ejected from the plane and pulled by firefighters from a bedroom window, her husband told the TV station.

A GoFundMe account was created to help her family raise money to pay for medical bills and funeral expenses.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the crash. The plane was registered to Pierce’s stepfather, Nouri Hijazi.

Story and video:  http://www.latimes.com



Cessna T310Q, N1246G

SAN JOSE (CBS SF) – Richard Pierce has kept a constant vigil at his wife’s bedside since she was pulled from the flaming wreckage of a plane crash in Riverside.

It’s a vigil filled with hopes and prayers.

“I’m terrified that she won’t make it,” he told KPIX 5. “But I’m putting all my faith in God and I believe she is going to pull through and we’re going to have a home.”

It has been week since firefighters pulled Joanne Stacey Pierce through a bedroom window after she was ejected from a private plane carrying and her parents and two other family friends that crash into a Riverside neighborhood shortly after takeoff.

The group was returning to San Jose from watching Pierce’s daughter, Brooke, take part in a cheerleading competition.

She suffered third-degree burns over 90 percent of her body and underwent surgery. Both her legs have been amputated and she has yet to begin to talk.

Her mother 67-year-old Dana Hijazi was killed along with her stepfather 83-year-old Nouri Hijazi and family friend 22-year-old Adine Ferales.

Another family friend – Adine’s mother Sylvia Fareles — was found on the lawn near the wreckage. Neighbors helped firefighters to pull her across the street, away from the burning homes. She was being treated for possible airway burns.


Story and video: http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com


Dana Hijazi and Stacey Pierce

Pictured is Adine Farelas, 22, who died February 27, 2017 in the crash of a Cessna T310Q plane in Riverside.

Adine Farelas



Clues ranging from the trail of smoke from a small plane as it plunged to earth to the two failed attempts to start its engine before takeoff will be examined as investigators piece together what happened to the twin-engine Cessna 310 that crashed in a Riverside neighborhood this week, experts said Wednesday, March 1.

They said it’s likely a combination of factors — among the possibilities: mechanical failure, weather and the human factor — will be shown to have contributed to the accident that took three lives and left two other people in critical condition.

“All aircraft accidents are the result of more than one thing. All of them,” said Tom Anthony, director of aviation and safety security at USC. “There are a cascade of things that come together to cause an accident.”

In more than 60 percent of accidents, one of the causes is attributed to human error, Anthony said.

National Transportation Safety Board investigators have said it could be 15 to 18 months before their investigation reaches a conclusion.

As for the plane involved, according to Federal Aviation Administration records, it was registered to San Jose resident Nouri Hijazi. The twin-engine model had been built in 1974.

However, experts do not consider the fact that it is more than 40 years old to be alarming.

“Many of the airplanes flying around in the sky are not new,” said Holly Inaba, a pilot, flight instructor and contract course coordinator in USC’s aviation program. “And the fact that it is older is not an extraordinary factor.”

Inaba said the Cessna 310 has a reputation for being a relatively safe model.

“It’s a typical twin-engine airplane,” said Bill Waldock, professor of behavioral and safety science at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Ariz.



And he said the Cessna 310’s accident record is roughly average among popular twin-engine planes people fly in the U.S.



The planes were built between 1954 and 1981. During that time, Waldock said about 6,300 individual airplanes were produced. That compares to about 6,700 Beechcraft Barons and 5,000 Piper Seneca PA34s.



Citing NTSB’s data base, Waldock said that from 1982 to today there have been 600 accidents involving Cessna 310s, 184 of them fatal. That compares to 779 Baron accidents, 291 of them fatal, and 427 Seneca accidents, 121 of which were fatal, during the same period, he said.

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“That’s a favorite plane of small businesses and families and so on,” said Glenn Winn, a USC instructor. “It’s a relatively safe airplane.”



Inaba characterized the aircraft as “a pretty nice, normal, fairly docile aircraft.”



For a small airplane, with its two engines it has a lot of get up and go. It can cruise at 200 mph.



“It’s nice to have an extra engine,” Waldock said. “But it’s also a little more complicated to fly — particularly if you lose an engine.”



Barry Gregory, a 72-year-old Perris resident, who said he’s been flying since he was 21, said that is potentially disastrous.


“Losing an engine in a twin is the worst-case scenario,” he said. In a Cessna 310, he said, “It’s going to take you right to the ground.”

That’s one possibility investigators are exploring, experts said.

Some saw it as alarming, the reports that not once, but twice, the pilot tried and failed to start the engine at Riverside Municipal Airport. Not everyone agrees with that, though. Kurt Knepper, an Orange County aviation attorney and regional vice president for the California Pilots Association, said failed starts aren’t particularly unusual.

Others were concerned about the eyewitness report of the Cessna rocking back and forth, front to back, as it accelerated on takeoff.

Winn said the various reports suggest the possibility of engine failure.

Anthony said such a failure wouldn’t be crippling once the plane reached flying altitude.

“On takeoff, it becomes critical because you have one side puling and one side dragging,” he said.

It doesn’t help, said Daniel Prather, chairman of aviation science at California Baptist University in Riverside, that takeoff is one of those times in flight — the other being landings — when aircraft are particularly vulnerable.

“It’s a very critical time and a necessary time for all systems to be functioning normally.” Prather said.

Experts said it could have been something else.

Knepper said what caught his attention was the trail of smoke drifting from the aircraft in one of the crash videos. That, he said, could suggest that a fuel line broke, sparking a fire and triggering the rapid descent.

“Or did the occupants get overcome by smoke?” Knepper asked. “Fire is one that everyone worries about because, if you have fire on board, there is no way to get rid of it, beyond getting the plane down.”

Then, of course, there was a storm that day. The flying party reportedly waited for a break in the rain, then dashed out to the plane. Winn said he believes weather played a role.

Experts said investigators will look into a host of other things, too, such as how well the plane was maintained, how much it weighed on takeoff, how the weight was distributed, and other potential mechanical problems.

In any event, Prather said the crash shook up his students at Cal Baptist, who train at Riverside Municipal Airport.

“It is a wake-up call for our students,” he said. “It hits home when something like this happens at your local airport.”




The fire commanders at the scene of the airplane crash Monday in Riverside had to make a decision: Did rescuers have a realistic chance of safely entering the home the plane hit and saving anyone as the flames burned fiercely?

Fire Chief Michael Moore said the flames initially were burning on the exterior of the house, so after a quick assessment, the answer was yes.

Two firefighters entered a front bedroom where there was “zero visibility,” Capt. Tyler Reynolds said. They used a thermal imaging system to detect body heat, but it was the moaning of a woman who was buried under debris that attracted firefighters’ attention, Reynolds said.

Two firefighters dug the woman out and handed her off through a window to colleagues.

A second woman who’d been thrown from the plane survived after bystanders helped her crawl out of the damaged home.

“We put our firefighters at risk and we put them in place because of saveable lives,” Reynolds said at a news conference Tuesday, Feb. 28. “They went in, they did what they were taught to do. . That is what you get from a fire department that is locked and loaded and ready to go.”

Firefighters received praise for saving lives and preventing the flames from wiping out the neighborhood.

“They helped minimize the property loss and more importantly than that, the loss of life . under very horrific circumstances,” City Councilman Mike Soubirous said at the news conference.

A statement from Riverside Municipal Airport, which first reported the crash, said: “We express our appreciation to the city of Riverside emergency response crews. Fire and police departments and also immense gratitude to neighborhood residents who volunteered assistance.”

Firefighters were well short of the amount of foam they needed to battle the fuel-fed fire - a situation Moore said he expects to be remedied next year.

He said each fire engine typically carries 10 gallons of foam to put out vehicle fires. Foam forms a blanket to seal off combustible vapors.

Firefighters had to run 5-gallon barrels of foam to the engine that was spreading the substance, Moore said. He estimated that firefighters had 40 gallons of foam when they needed 100.

But the Fire Department is purchasing a foam tender that can hold 2,000 gallons and is expected to arrive in 2018, Moore said. The approximate $500,000 cost will be covered by a grant. The city has to match 10 percent, Moore said.

Source:  http://www.mercurynews.com



RIVERSIDE — There was something wrong with the Cessna T310Q when the San Jose pilot first tried starting it.

There was side-to-side shaking when it finally climbed into the air from Riverside Municipal Airport Monday afternoon.

There was smoke reportedly trailing from the twin-engine plane before it crashed into a house, less than a mile from where it had taken off.

And now, with three people dead, one passenger badly burned, and another hospitalized after a dramatic escape from the wreckage, investigators will try and solve the mystery of what really happened — mechanical trouble, human error, difficult conditions, or some combination of all those.

The tragedy has hit San Jose hard: Returning home after a cheerleading competition at Disney’s California Adventure Park, two of the contestants’ mothers — Stacey Pierce and Silvia Farelas — were aboard the plane piloted by Pierce’s dad, retired tech veteran Nouri Hijazi. He, along with his wife, Dana, perished when the plane crashed into a home. Farelas, who crawled to safety, lost her oldest daughter, Adine. And though the young cheerleaders were spared, having taken a bus back home, Pierce was badly burned and has been hospitalized in Southern California.

The National Transportation Safety Board says it could be as long as 18 months before a final report on the cause of the crash is released. But based on witness reports, a brief press conference by the NTSB and informed speculation by aviation experts, here are some of the areas where investigators will probably focus:

HUMAN ERROR

While Hijazi, the presumed pilot (NTSB investigator Stephen Stein would not say who was flying the plane), was an experienced flier, according to friends, he was also 83 years old. That factor — along with his flight records, history and credentials — will surely be considered.

Experts say that while a plane crash is usually caused by a combination of things — mechanical failure, weather, etc. — it’s common for human error to be a contributing factor.

“All aircraft accidents are the result of more than one thing. All of them,” said Tom Anthony, director of aviation and safety security at USC. “There are a cascade of things that come together to cause an accident.”

Anthony said that in more than 60 percent of air accidents, one of the factors is the person in the cockpit. An airport cafe owner who served the five fliers said the group appeared to waver about whether to fly out Monday afternoon, but ultimately decided to press on. The witness said the pilot was clearly having trouble getting the Cessna to start, trying twice to turn over the engine while sitting at Riverside Municipal Airport. While that may seem to a big red flag, Kurt Knepper, an Orange County aviation attorney and regional vice president for the California Pilots Association, said failed starts aren’t particularly unusual.

Friends described Hijazi as “an extremely experienced pilot” and said flying “was his hobby, his passion.” If for some reason he was struggling to get the plane into the air, or was overcome by smoke or otherwise distracted, his response time could have been affected by his age. But it is also possible he could have encountered problems no pilot could overcome.

MECHANICAL TROUBLE

Hijazi’s airplane had been built in 1974, making it more than four decades old. Still, experts don’t find that alarming.

“Many of the airplanes flying around in the sky are not new,” said Holly Inaba, a pilot, flight instructor and contract course coordinator in USC’s aviation program. “And the fact that it is older is not an extraordinary factor.”

Inaba said the Cessna 310 has a reputation for being a relatively safe model.

“It’s a typical twin-engine airplane,” said Bill Waldock, professor of behavioral and safety science at Embry-Riddle Aeronatical University in Prescott, Ariz.

He added that the Cessna 310’s accident record is roughly average among popular twin-engine planes people fly in the U.S. The planes were built between 1954 and 1981. During that time, Waldock said about 6,300 individual airplanes were produced. That compares to about 6,700 Beechcraft Barons and 5,000 Piper Seneca PA34s.

Citing NTSB’s data base, Waldock said that from 1982 to today there have been 600 accidents involving Cessna 310s, 184 of them fatal. That compares to 779 Baron accidents, 291 of them fatal, and 427 Seneca accidents, 121 of which were fatal, during the same period, he said.

“That’s a favorite plane of small businesses and families and so on,” said Glenn Winn, a USC instructor. “It’s a relatively safe airplane.”

ENGINE LOSS ON TAKEOFF

While Inaba characterized the aircraft as “a pretty nice, normal, fairly docile aircraft,” a problem on takeoff could have caused Hijazi to quickly lose control of the aircraft.

Inaba said that for a small airplane, its two engines give the Cessna a lot of pep, enabling it to cruise at 200 mph. “It’s nice to have an extra engine,” Waldock said. “But it’s also a little more complicated to fly — particularly if you lose an engine.”

That scenario, said Barry Gregory, a 72-year-old Southern California resident who’s been flying since he was 21, could be disastrous.

“Losing an engine in a twin is the worst-case scenario,” he said. In a Cessna 310, he said, “It’s going to take you right to the ground.”

If the Cessna’s rocking back and forth after takeoff reported by witnesses were caused by an engine loss, that malfunction could have overwhelmed the pilot, causing the plane to list to one side due to the now imbalanced thrust and then crash to the ground.

Winn said the various reports suggest the possibility of engine failure. And, said Anthony, had the plane reached its flying altitude, then an engine loss wouldn’t be as crippling as it would be during its initial climb.

“On takeoff, it becomes critical because you have one side puling and one side dragging,” said Anthony.

It doesn’t help, said Daniel Prather, chairman of aviation science at California Baptist University in Riverside, that takeoff is one of those times in flight — the other being landing — when aircraft are particularly vulnerable.

“It’s a very critical time,” said Prather, “and a necessary time for all systems to be functioning normally.”

SOMETHING ELSE

Experts said the ultimate cause of the crash could turn out to be one or more other things. For example, Knepper said that what caught his attention was the trail of smoke drifting from the aircraft in one of the crash videos. That, he said, could suggest that a fuel line had snapped, sparking a fire and triggering the rapid descent.

“Or did the occupants get overcome by smoke?” Knepper asked. “Fire is one that everyone worries about because, if you have fire on board, there is no way to get rid of it, beyond getting the plane down.”

Finally, there was a storm that day. The flying party reportedly waited for a break in the rain, then dashed out to the plane. Winn said he believes weather may have played a role.

Source:  http://www.mercurynews.com


SAN JOSE — Two families spent Wednesday mourning the loss of a preschool teacher, real-estate agent, and longtime pilot while also keeping vigil over two critically injured women who miraculously survived a “devastating” small-plane crash in Riverside on Monday.

A San Jose man has identified his mother as one of two survivors and his sister as one of three people killed when a twin-engine Cessna 310 airplane crashed Monday in a Riverside neighborhood shortly after takeoff. Co-workers and hospital officials also shed light on the identities of the other San Jose residents involved in the crash, including the presumed pilot and his wife who died, and their adult daughter, who is the other survivor.

Brandon Farelas, 19, of San Jose, confirmed his sister Adine Farelas, 22, of San Jose, was one of three people killed in Monday’s tragic crash in Riverside. Farelas said his mother Silvia Farelas survived the crash and that she remains in a Southern California hospital, where she is “doing better” and “recovering well.”

Riverside County Coroner’s Sgt. Todd Grimm said Wednesday he could not yet confirm the identities of those who died. There was someone assisting with identifications, Grimm said, and that the office hoped to announce the identities Wednesday afternoon or Thursday.

The plane was owned by San Jose resident Nouri Hijazi, and he was the presumed pilot.

Mark Folden, a broker at Fireside Realty in San Jose, affirmed that Dana Hijazi, a 67-year-old real estate agent, died in the crash. Records indicate Dana Hijazi was the pilot’s wife.

Riverside fire officials said Stacey Joanne Pierce — Dana Hijazi’s daughter — suffered third-degree burns to over 90 percent of her body and was airlifted to the burn center at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in San Bernardino County. Hospital spokeswoman Justine Rodriguez confirmed in an email Wednesday that Pierce remains in critical condition.

All five plane occupants traveled to Southern California to watch a weekend cheerleading event at Disney’s California Adventure theme park: Pierce’s daughter (also Dana Hijazi’s granddaughter) and Silvia Farelas’ daughter (also Adine Farelas’ younger sister) were participants. Both middle-school-aged girls returned home on a bus chartered by the Union School District in South San Jose.

Pierce’s family released a statement Wednesday saying they they are “incredibly devastated and heart broken and are still trying to process everything.”

“Stacey is still in critical condition. We ask that you continue to pray for her recovery. I know how dedicated she is to her husband and kids and that will give her the strength she needs to fight,” the statement read.

The family also noted the closeness between Pierce and her mother, that Dana Hijazi “and Stacey truly were best friends and as close as a mother and daughter could be.”

Also in the statement, the family described Nouri Hijazi as “an extremely experienced pilot, which was his hobby, his passion.”

The family dispatch closed with gratitude for emergency responders and good Samaritans at the crash site, and a request for privacy: “At this time my brother has asked that him and the kids be given privacy to mourn the loss (of) Dana and (Nouri) and time to be with Stacey through this awful time. And we ask that you continue to pray for everyone involved.”

Brandon Farelas was reeling from the loss of his sister, Adine, who listed her occupation on Facebook as a  pre-school teacher in Los Gatos.

“Even at times that we didn’t get along so well and we’d argue back and forth like brothers and sisters tend to do, she would always be there for me and I appreciate her so much and now realize exactly what it is that I’m losing,” Brandon Farelas told ABC7.

Federal investigators are examining the crash site less than a mile east of Riverside Municipal Airport, where a San Jose-bound twin-engine Cessna 310 streaked back to Earth shortly after takeoff Monday. At least one witness account suggests the pilot and his passengers were dealing with visible mechanical trouble, including two false engine starts, before deciding to go through with the ill-fated flight.

On Tuesday, investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board offered no new insights into why the 43-year-old plane went down into two homes on Rhonda Road, where witnesses said it quickly burst into a fireball.

Stephen Stein, an air-safety investigator with the NTSB, said a preliminary report on the crash would be posted in the next five to 10 days. He noted that “the airplane itself is in quite a few pieces spread over a debris field, spread over 100 to 150 feet.”

“I’d like to encourage any witnesses who may have seen, heard, or observed anything to please submit statements or reach out to us,” said Stein, referencing the email address witness@ntsb.gov.

At a news conference Tuesday, Riverside Fire Capt. Tyler Reynolds reported a teenage girl, man, and woman, all hailing from San Jose, were killed. Their identities have not been released, but the Riverside fire chief said Monday that the pilot does not appear to be among the survivors.

It is not clear if firefighters mistakenly referred to the 22-year-old Adine Farelas as the teenage victim.

The two surviving victims, Pierce and Silvia Farelas, survived after being thrown from the plane on impact. Pierce was rescued by firefighters after they used thermal-imaging cameras to locate her in a bedroom of one of the destroyed homes.

Amid flames closing in around them, “they assisted that female adult patient out of the window,” Reynolds said.

Silvia Farelas was pulled away from the scene by firefighters and good Samaritans while screaming for her daughter, witnesses said. She was rushed to Riverside Community Hospital with apparent burns to her airway but was able to briefly speak to firefighters.


Source:  http://www.mercurynews.com


The victims of a deadly plane crash in Riverside on Monday have yet to be identified by investigators, but the family of three of the plane's occupants released a statement and photo late Tuesday night to NBC Bay Area.

Stacey Pierce was one of two survivors of the crash. She was still in critical condition Tuesday night. Her parents, Nouri and Dana Hijazi, were two of the three people killed in the crash, the family statement indicated. All three are San Jose residents.

Nouri Hijazi was the registered owner of the Cessna 310 that went down, according to FAA records, and is believed to have been the pilot at the time of the crash.

Family spokeswoman Christy Crown provided the following statement:

On behalf of our family, we want to say how incredibly devastated and heartbroken we are and still trying to process everything.

Stacey is still in critical condition. We ask that you continue to pray for her recovery. I know how dedicated she is to her husband and kids and that will give her the strength she needs to fight. Anyone who knows her knows how loving, caring, and outgoing she is and how her laugh can fill a room.

Dana, who was Stacey's mom and on board the plane, dedicated her life to Stacey and her four grandchildren, Brandon, Brad, Blaine, and Brooke. She was truly a happy, kind, loving, and warm person and really loved life! Her and Stacey truly were best friends and as close as a mother and daughter could be.

Nuri recently retired from a career he loved to spend time with his wife, daughter Stacey and her family. He was an extremely experienced pilot, which was his hobby, his passion.

They were devoted to each other and their family, which brought them so much joy.

Although I did not know the other passengers, we are praying for her recovery and healing. Our hearts go out to her and her family for the loss of her daughter.

We would like to thank the Riverside community; the emergency responders and bystanders who helped in rescuing our family members and did all they could to save them. And thank you to everyone out there for their love, support, thoughts, and prayers for everyone involved.

At this time my brother has asked that him and the kids be given privacy to mourn the loss (of) Dana and Nuri and time to be with Stacey through this awful time.

And we ask that you continue to pray for everyone involved.


Story and video:  http://www.nbcbayarea.com



RIVERSIDE, Calif.  --A family member of one of the Southern California plane crash victims is speaking out about his loss in the South Bay.

Silvia Farelas survived the fiery plane crash in Riverside. Her 22-year-old daughter Adine did not.

They were returning from a cheerleading competition in Southern California where Adine's younger sister competed.

The Union Middle School student arrived safely back in San Jose by bus with the rest of her team.

Her 19-year-old brother is left trying to cope with the loss of their big sister. "Even at times we didn't get along so well, argue back and forth like brothers and sisters tend to, she would always be there for me," Brandon Farelas told ABC7 News. "I appreciate her so much. Now I realize exactly what I'm losing."

Silvia and Adine were flying with friends. The Cessna plane crashed into homes near Riverside Airport, exploding into a massive fireball, killing three people on board.

"I give all the glory to the big man upstairs," said Farelas. "I don't know how else to put it into words. It's just a miracle."

A cafe owner near the airport was the last person to see the pilot alive. She said he appeared worried and attempted to take off three times. "I was so worried even the last moment they left," said Delmy Pennington. "I said, 'Why are they leaving?'"

Farelas said his mother was worried about flying in the weather. His attention is now on his younger sister. "To help her in the future become a strong woman like my mom and sister," he added.

Farelas said his mother has had surgery on her arm and is being moved to the burn unit for a second surgery.

The NTSB is investigating what happened.

Story and video:  http://abc7news.com











An National Transportation Safety Board investigator lifts yellow police tape as Riverside Animal Control officers carry a deceased animal from a home the day after a Cessna T310Q crashed killing three people.









National Transportation Safety Board Air Safety Investigator Stephen Stein speaks during a press conference at Riverside Municipal Airport the day after a Cessna T310Q crashed into the home killing three people.



Aviation expert says pilot had some control when Cessna T310Q went down at 120 mph in fiery crash, killing 3.




Delmy Pennington was working at her cafe at Riverside Municipal Airport on Monday afternoon when she noticed a small plane struggling to take off amid heavy rain.

“It looked like the airplane didn’t start right, something was wrong,” said Pennington, co-owner of the D&D Airport Cafe. 

The five people in the Cessna T310Q, who officials said were returning to San Jose after attending a cheerleading competition at Disney’s California Adventure, came back to the terminal before giving takeoff another try. They sat down at Pennington’s cafe, and she offered them menus and silverware.

After it stopped raining, the group returned to the plane, this time finally taking off. But Pennington said she was concerned about what she saw: The back of the plane shaking.

“It looked to me like it was hitting the floor,” Pennington said of the airplane’s tail. She said she had never seen that happen before, even though she has watched “thousands of airplanes” take off from the airport. 

Moments later, at 4:40 p.m., the plane crashed into a Riverside neighborhood, causing a large fire that destroyed one home and damaged several others.

A man, woman and teenage girl on board the plane were killed, and two other women were critically injured.

On Tuesday, investigators tried to piece together why the plane crashed, while residents of  the neighborhood surveyed the damage. 

Authorities have yet to publicly identify the plane’s occupants or who was flying the aircraft.

“The plane itself is in quite a few pieces” scattered over a 150-foot debris field, said Stephen Stein, an air safety investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board.

Firefighters described an intense battle to contain  the fire, which was fueled in part by the Cessna’s full tank. Debris was scattered across front lawns as far as half a mile away from the crash, Riverside Fire Chief Michael Moore said.

Riverside police Officer Ryan Railsback said one person was in the home where the plane crashed but was able to get out unharmed.

It’s “very remarkable that nobody else was injured. There are parts of this airplane that kind of spread out along the whole street,” he said.

Four houses were damaged as a result of the crash; two of them were red-tagged. 

Daniel Hernandez had been readying to go out for the evening when he heard a loud blast. 

Looking out the window, he saw his next-door neighbors’ house engulfed in flames. He ran out and watched in shock as a man came running out.

"It's a tragedy," 22-year-old Hernandez said, as he stood outside the yellow police tape that surrounded parts of his neighborhood Tuesday. "I'm just so sorry for the lives that were lost."

Firefighters who rushed to the scene found one home fully ablaze and another partially on fire. As they searched one of the homes, a fire captain heard moaning coming from inside a bedroom. 

A woman who had been in the plane had been ejected and was covered in debris. Firefighters quickly dug into the debris to free her and passed her through a window to others waiting outside, said Riverside Fire Capt. Tyler Reynolds.

The woman survived, although she suffered third-degree burns over 90% of her body, fire officials said. 

The survivors were women in their late 30s or early 40s, authorities said.

 It wasn’t known whether the victims were members of the same family, although the teenage victim might have had family members onboard, Reynolds said. 

Neighborhood residents helped pull one of the survivors to a safe location, Reynolds said. 

“I want to thank the community of this neighborhood for allowing the firefighters to get in, perform these rescues, protect life and protect property,” Reynolds said. “Unfortunately, again, it was a tragic incident.”

Mark Scheck’s home was one of those hit by the plane, although he said a neighbor’s home appeared to have taken the brunt of the crash. Scheck, his wife and their three children were not home at the time.

Scheck had lived in his home about five years with his wife, 7-year-old sons and 10-year-old daughter. The family was accustomed to the planes that came and went from the nearby airport. 

“I was more concerned about a train derailment, because we’re right by the train tracks,” Scheck said. “That’s what I was more worried about, not a plane falling from the sky.”

Scheck and his family have been staying at his parents’ home since. A GoFundMe page has been started to help raise funds for the family. 

“What do you do for something like this? It just boggles my mind,” Scheck said. “Who do you reach out to? I don’t know what to do.”

Those on the plane had spent part of the weekend at Disney California Adventure, which was hosting the Jr. USA Nationals cheerleading competition for girls under 15. The competition drew students from elementary and middle schools from around the state.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends of the victims," the organization said in a statement. 

Source:   http://www.latimes.com






RIVERSIDE — One teenager was among the three people killed Monday when a small plane that was headed to San Jose from a weekend cheerleading competition at Disney California Adventure Park, according to fire department officials.

At a press conference Tuesday, the Riverside Fire Department reported a teenage girl, man and woman were killed in the crash. Two other women on board the plane were rescued by firefighters and remain in critical condition, according to the fire department.

As of Tuesday morning, none of the five have been identified.

Monday, the plane, a Cessna 310, crashed into two homes and sparked a major fire, according to Riverside Fire Chief Michael Moore. No one on the ground was injured.

The two surviving victims, described as women in their late 30s to early 40s, were thrown from the plane on impact, Moore said. That allowed firefighters, who arrived at the crash within two to three minutes, “to make an effective rescue in just that short amount of time.”

Both women were listed in critical condition as of Monday night, Moore said. One of the women was taken to the Burn Center at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in San Bernardino, Moore said.

The second woman was able to talk to firefighters about what had happened as she was taken to Riverside Community Hospital, Moore said. The woman told emergency responders her group was returning from the cheerleading competition.


The pilot does not appear to be one of the survivors, Moore said.


The plane that had just taken off from Riverside Municipal Airport at 4:40 p.m. Monday, nearly an hour later than scheduled, when it crashed, Moore said. The Cessna 310, built in 1974, is registered to Nouri Hijazi of San Jose, according to FAA records.


Three bodies were found in the combined wreckage of the plane and the homes.


“It’s horrible,” Moore said, especially given that they had gone to a cheer competition and it was “supposed to be a happy time.”


Moore did not give the name of the cheerleading competition, but the Jr. USA Nationals for girls age 15 and under was held at Disney California Adventure Park over the weekend.


Union and Dartmouth middle schools in South San Jose sent students to the competition. In response to inquiries that the plane-crash victims were associated with the trip, Union School District Denise Clay affirmed all of the students who participated were back in the Bay Area hours before the crash occurred.


“All of our students returned safely from the trip,” Clay said. “They all came back safely on the bus.”


Clay added that while identities of the victims have not been formally confirmed, the school district is preparing for the possibility.


“In the event that the victims are from our community, we have grief counselors available,” she said.


The two Riverside homes that were hit directly were destroyed, and there was minor damage to some neighboring houses, said Moore, adding that no one on the ground was hurt or killed.


The plane was broken into hundreds of pieces, its propeller sitting on the roof of a nearby home, and the fire burning with aviation fuel was still ablaze several hours after the crash.


Firefighters will do additional searches of the residences to make sure no one else was injured or killed.


H.L. Reyes, who lives about a quarter-mile from the crash site, told The Associated Press she felt the ground shake and saw plumes of black smoke.


“I thought it was a possible earthquake, and we heard all the birds just suddenly react outside, too,” Reyes said. “This was just like a nightmare coming true.”


Shannon Flores, a teacher at an elementary school about three blocks away, said she saw the plane out of her classroom window. She said it was raining during the crash, though other witnesses said the rain was very light.


“As soon as we saw it fly over, we knew it wasn’t a good thing,” Flores told KABC-TV. “We watched it go down very quickly. … Before we knew it, there was a loud crash and huge plumes of smoke.”


Source:  http://www.mercurynews.com





Two survivors of Monday's deadly plane crash in a Riverside neighborhood were recovering Tuesday after undergoing surgery, a Riverside police spokesman says.

One, who suffered burns, remains in critical condition, Officer Ryan Railsback said. The other, whose injuries were described Monday as minor, is stable, Railsback said. Both survivors were adult women.


The three killed in the crash were an adult man and woman and teenage girl, Railsback said. Their names have not been released.


On Monday, Riverside's fire chief had said the plane was carrying a husband and wife and three teenagers who had come to Southern California for a cheerleading competition at Disney California Adventure Park and were returning to San Jose.


At the scene of the crash on Rhonda Road, a mile east of Riverside Municipal Airport, a faint smell of smoke hung in the air Tuesday morning as firefighters continued combing through the wreckage. The bodies of the man and girl were removed late Tuesday morning; the woman's body had been removed previously.


The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into the crash. About 4:40 p.m. Monday, shortly after the Cessna 310 took off from the Riverside airport, the plane turned and began coming down steeply, witnesses said. It crashed into a house in the 6400 block Rhonda Road with such force that neighbors thought there had been a train derailment or earthquake, then burst into flames that could be seen blocks away.


Two houses were destroyed and several others were damaged. Wreckage was thrown at least a half-mile away, Fire Chief Michael Moore said Monday. Enough fuel from the plane's tank spilled that the fire burned into the night.


On Tuesday morning, Riverside fire department investigators could be seen on top of the roof of one of the burned houses, inspecting a propeller situated near the house's chimney.


The house directly south of that was half reduced to rubble. The burned-out shell of a PT Cruiser was in the driveway.


About 20 homes in the neighborhood were evacuated Monday night so the NTSB could conduct its investigation. A handful of families stayed overnight at a Red Cross shelter set up at a nearby community center.


By Tuesday morning, nearly all of the evacuated residents had returned home, Railsback said.


Source:  http://www.pe.com











Three people were killed and two were injured Monday when a plane nosedived into a Riverside neighborhood shortly after takeoff, destroying two houses and starting a fire that burned for hours.


At an evening news conference, Riverside Fire Chief Michael Moore had said four people were dead, but late Monday night he said three were killed, and said all had been on the airplane. No residents of the damaged homes were injured, he said.


The plane was carrying five people - a husband and wife and three teenagers - who had attended a weekend cheerleading competition at Disneyland, Moore said.


The Cessna 310 piloted by the wife had just taken off from Riverside Municipal Airport to return home to San Jose when, for reasons still unknown, it went down about 4:40 p.m. a mile east of the airport, setting several houses ablaze on Rhonda Road.


The impact felt like an earthquake, neighbors said, and sent up a "big orange ball of fire" that could be seen blocks away.


One of the injured victims was taken to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton to undergo surgery and was in "very critical" condition Monday night, Moore said. That hospital has the closest burn unit, though Moore did not say that was why the victim was taken there.


The other survivor, described as a teen girl, suffered what Moore called "very minor injuries." She was taken to Riverside Community Hospital.


"Upon impact, the plane pretty much split apart, and luckily she was ejected," Moore said.


In addition to the two houses that were destroyed, other adjacent homes sustained moderate damage, Moore said.


During his 7:30 p.m. briefing, Moore said fire officials were concerned that more victims could be inside the houses. By 10 p.m., he said that all residents of the homes had been accounted for. Firefighters were still searching the homes just to be sure, however.


Because of the large amount of fuel released during the crash, the fire was still burning late Monday. Moore said firefighters expected to remain on scene through the night.





EVACUATION, INVESTIGATION


The wreckage was scattered at least a half-mile away. Houses on several surrounding streets, about 20 of them, were being evacuated so the National Transportation Safety Board can do a thorough assessment. Residents of some of those homes had been sheltering in place during the fire.


While he said he imagined that Monday's weather - it rained much of the day and was overcast at the time of the crash - could have contributed to the cause, "I don't have that information."


Asked whether the teenage survivor told firefighters what happened in the plane, he said they left it to the NTSB to talk to her about that.


It was unknown how long the NTSB investigation would last or when the evacuation would be lifted.


The local American Red Cross chapter set up an emergency shelter at the nearby Joyce Jackson Community Center. It was prepared for up to 40 people, offering water, snacks, cots and counselors, chapter spokesman Tony Briggs said.


"We'll be open as long as they need us to be," Executive Director Lois Beckman said.




THE VICTIMS


The names and hometowns of the deceased have not yet been released. At one point during the news conference, Moore said he believed the people on the plane were all a family, but later he said he was not sure whether they were all related. A witness who helped pull the pilot out of the plane said she kept calling for her daughter.


Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim hosted the United Spirit Association Jr. Nationals cheerleading competition on Saturday and Sunday.


“It’s horrible, especially when you couple together that they were going to a cheer competition and this was supposedly a happy time, and then just to have a tragic incident like this – and then into one of our Riverside residences that I’m sure always have that mild fear of something happening," Moore said. "It’s really just a sad, sad case for us."





'IT LOOKED LIKE A STUNT PLANE'


Brian Marsh said he saw the plane go down as he was driving west on Central Avenue.


“I thought it was turning to go back to Riverside (Municipal) Airport,” he said by phone. “It made a turn and the wings were almost perpendicular to the ground. It looked like a stunt plane. (Then) it turned and went into a nosedive. All of a sudden it turned into a freefall.


“Flames were everywhere. Smoke was billowing out,” Marsh said.


Elizabeth Espinoza happened to be looking out her parents' bedroom window from their home on Walter Street when she saw a plane that "was just going down."


"There was no flames on the plane. It was just going down," she said. She also heard a loud boom.


"I was kind of in a panic," Espinoza said.


Espinoza and her sisters were among the dozens of spectators who congregated outside to watch as a fleet of fire engines, ambulances, police cars and more than 60 firefighters worked at the scene.


Another bystander, Ken Sampson, who had been in his backyard when the plane went down, said he is used to seeing planes flying over the neighborhood. What struck him this time was that the plane wasn’t coming down at a proper angle – it looked too steep.


Then, he said, he saw a “big orange ball of fire.” The flames shot so high that he could see them from his house six blocks away.


NEIGHBORS PULL OUT PILOT


Marvinus Johnson, 31, and Breonna Johnson, 27, who live two houses to the right of where the plane crashed, were inside when they heard a boom and saw flames.


Breonna thought a train had derailed.


The impact blew out their front two windows, Marvinus said. A wing of the plane also crashed into their house.


They ran outside to help.


Marvinus said a man wearing a blue jacket was already there, near the plane. He said they saw the pilot crawling out. The man in the blue jacket pulled her first and Marvinus helped by grabbing her leg. They laid her across the street.


The pilot said her daughter and four other people were inside the plane, Marvinus said.


"The pilot was asking about her daughter the whole time," Breonna said. "We stayed next to the pilot to make sure she was OK - to check on her breathing."


Marvinus added, "We were holding her and all she kept saying was, 'My daughter, my daughter.'"


Marvinus said they went back to the crash site, but the flames were too much.


The Johnsons are in the health field and said it was first instinct to help. She's a nurse and he recently graduated from a respiratory therapist program.


"We're used to being in situations where there is chaos," he said.


Javier Gutierrez Jr., 15, heard the explosion and ran to the scene, where he saw a woman who identified herself as the pilot lying on the ground.


"She was covered in charcoal," Gutierrez said. "She didn't seem like she had very bad burns at all. She looked OK. She wasn't screaming. She was just kind of talking about it. I think she was in shock."


IT FELT LIKE AN EARTHQUAKE


Alberto Torres lives on Juanro Way, one street over from Rhonda Road. When he heard the crash and saw the flames, he said, he ran across the street to help his elderly neighbor, whose house backs up to the houses where the plane crashed.


The fire was on the other side of their back fence, so he tried watering it until his son said to leave. Torres said he and his son wrapped their neighbor in a blanket and brought her to their house for safety.


Bystander Amador Islaf, who lives a few blocks away on Walter Street, said the impact made the ground move – “it felt like a little earthquake.”


It also felt like an earthquake to H.L. Reyes, who lives about a mile from the scene and spoke by phone shortly after the crash.


"We all jumped up," Reyes said. "Even the birds outside reacted."


Source:  http://www.pe.com





















A family member has identified one of the victims of a plane crash in Riverside that killed three people and left two others hospitalized, CNN affiliate KGO is reporting.

Officials have not given the names of the victims or survivors of the crash, but have identified the victims as a teenage girl, a woman and a man.

Adine Farelas, 22, was killed in the crash, her brother Brandon Farelas told KGO.

Social media postings appear to identify the other victims, and they are all adults. Authorities said Tuesday that a man, a woman and a teenage girl died.

The plane was departing Riverside Airport for San Jose when it crashed a short time after takeoff, killing the three passengers and leaving two women hospitalized.

The group was in Southern California for a cheerleading conference at Disneyland, according to one of the survivors.

A Feb. 25 post on Adine Farelas’ Facebook page mentions her upcoming trip to Disneyland, which Brandon Farelas said was taken to see their younger sister compete.

"Even at times we didn't get along so well, argue back and forth like brothers and sisters tend to, she would always be there for me," Brandon Farelas told KGO. "I appreciate her so much. Now I realize exactly what I'm losing."

Brandon Farelas said his mother, Silvia Farelas, was one of the two women who survived of the fiery crash.

He told the television station his mother had surgery on her arm and was being moved to a burn unit for a second surgery.

The second survivor was listed in critical condition with burns over 90 percent of her body.

Silvia and Adine Farelas were traveling with friends aboard the twin-engine Cessna 310, Brandon Farelas said.

NTSB officials are still investigating the cause of the crash. They plan to look at environmental factors like weather and lighting, the pilot’s experience and flight records, and the engine and airframe.

The owner of a café at the airport said the pilot had trouble getting the plane started before takeoff, but the group eventually took off when the plane started on the third try.

A preliminary NTSB report will be issued in five to 10 days; a full summary of the crash could take 15 to 18 months.

Witnesses are asked to submit statements via email at witness@ntsb.gov.

Story and video:  http://ktla.com