Report Says Pilot in Crash Lacked Instrument Training

The pilot in the plane crash that killed four firefighters two weeks ago flew into clouds without the required instrument training, says a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board.

Michael A. Chantry, 36, and three of his friends were killed when he apparently lost control of the plane shortly after takeoff from Corona Airport and slammed into a Chino Hills slope. All four men were Corona firefighters.

The NTSB report says the sky was overcast at takeoff. FAA regulations require pilots to be instrument-rated to fly in clouds or fog. Nor did Chantry file a flight plan, the report says, as is required of pilots who plan to fly into clouds.

The report does not criticize Chantry, but flight instructors who have seen the report said the decision to make the trip was a poor one under the circumstances.

“Certainly it reflects a lack of judgment and is contrary to federal aviation regulations,” said Barry Schiff, a retired airline captain and airline safety consultant. “It’s hard to understand why he did this.”

The men were en route to a South Lake Tahoe skiing vacation when they took off shortly after 4:30 a.m. Jan. 19. Witnesses in the area at the time of the crash said there was dense fog.

In addition, weather reports for that time show the sky to have been overcast at 1,100 feet. The plane flew to 2,400 feet, the NTSB report says, then descended, crashing at 1,200 feet.

Flight instructors said the repercussions of flying under such conditions are one of the basic lessons new pilots learn.

“Taking off at night with an 1,100-foot overcast--that’s crazy . . . especially from a little airport in the middle of a valley,” said a veteran instrument flight instructor who asked not to be identified.

Howard Plagens, the NTSB accident investigator for the crash, declined to comment. Chantry’s family could not be reached for comment.

Chantry, of San Clemente, had a private pilot’s license and nearly 400 hours of flying time, NTSB officials said. No flight plan was filed with Air Traffic Control. Such a filing would not have been required if the entire flight could have been made without entering the clouds. But under the conditions at the time of the crash, those familiar with FAA regulations said, an instrument flight plan and clearance from controllers would have been necessary.

Also killed were John Y. Jefferies III, 25, of Santa Ana; Daniel Alleman, 27, of Perris; and Donald Butts, 28, of Irvine.