Cessna T337C accident near Wrightwood, California, April 23, 2006
On April 23, 2006 at about 6:18 pm local time, a Cessna T337C, registered N2620S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wrightwood, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper decision to continue VFR flight into instrument meteorological weather conditions, which resulted in controlled flight into mountainous terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 23, 2006 · about 6:18 pm local time
- Place
- Wrightwood, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T337C · all T337Cs on the register
- Registration
- N2620S · no longer on the register · serial 337-0920
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed under visual flight rules (VFR) for a planned cross country flight over mountainous terrain. During the climb to cruise phase, the pilot requested and received VFR radar flight following service. He also requested from the controller a cloud top report. The controller replied that he did not have a report for the geographic area. Radar data showed that the pilot continued climbing in a southerly direction toward rising mountainous terrain until reaching 10,200 feet msl. Then, over the next few minutes the airplane gradually descended and made a left, 270-degree turn. The pilot informed the controller that he had gotten himself "in the soup" and was trying "to get out of it." The controller advised the pilot that the minimum vectoring altitude for the area was 11,600 feet. No response was received from the pilot. The radar data showed that during this time the airplane descended and impacted a mountaintop near the 8,000-foot msl elevation. A skier, who was located less than 3/4-mile from the accident site at 7,000 feet msl, reported hearing the sound of an engine which abruptly stopped with a "thud" sound. The skier reported he was unable to see the sky because the clouds covered the mountaintop. An examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal evidence of any mechanical malfunction. The ground scars and wreckage signatures showed the airplane was in controlled flight when the ground collision occurred.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,792 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 4,500 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-360-A/B (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: WJF Lancaster CA at 5:52 pm
- Destination: SEE San Diego CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 5:58 pm from VCV, 22 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.