The Region - News from April 28, 1987

A Fontana man with only one hour of flight instruction escaped with minor cuts and bruises when he lost control of his newly purchased helicopter and crashed at Fla-Bob Airport in Rubidoux. Cline Hogg, 58, said he had saved for 20 years to buy the Hughes 269B helicopter but did not have it insured. He said he had not intended to leave the ground and was warming up the engine while waiting for his instructor when the aircraft soared about 75 feet into the air. The helicopter’s flight controls had not been fully unlocked, making it difficult to maneuver, Hogg said, and he was unable to stabilize it. The aircraft began wobbling then rocked and crashed, but he walked away from the wreckage. “The only thing broken on me was my heart,” he said.