Pilot in Firefighters’ Crash Lacked Training

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

Michael Chantry, 36, the pilot, and three of his friends were killed when Chantry apparently lost control of the plane shortly after taking off from the Corona Airport and slammed into a hillside in Chino Hills. All four men were Corona firefighters.

The NTSB report notes that the sky was overcast when the plane took off. FAA regulations require pilots to be instrument-rated to fly in clouds or fog, where instruments are needed to navigate. The report also said Chantry filed no flight plan, which is required of pilots who plan to fly into clouds.

“The non-instrument-rated pilot and three passengers were fatally injured,” the report said. It does not criticize the San Clemente pilot, but experienced 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 on their way to a skiing vacation in South Lake Tahoe when they took off from Corona Airport shortly after 4:30 a.m. on Jan. 19. Witnesses in the area at the time of the crash said there was dense fog cover.

Weather reports for the time of the accident show the sky was overcast at 1,100 feet. The plane flew up to 2,400 feet, the NTSB report says, then descended. It crashed at 1,200 feet.

Flight instructors said the difficulties of flying under such conditions are one of the basic lessons every new pilot learns.

“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.

He said the NTSB report described a classic situation in which a non-instrument-rated pilot flies into clouds, loses orientation and loses control of the plane, which then goes into a spiral dive.

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

Chantry had a private pilot’s license and nearly 400 hours of flying time, according to NTSB officials. No flight plan was filed with Air Traffic Control, which would not have been required if the entire flight could have been made without entering the clouds. 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.

More than 2,000 relatives, friends and firefighters attended services for the four men. Records show the 1955 Beechcraft plane was owned by Chantry’s father. Also killed were John Jefferies III, 25, of Santa Ana; Daniel Alleman, 27; of Perris; and Donald Butts, 28, of Irvine.