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LAX91LA003

1990-10-06 · RIVERSIDE, California, United States · Fatal · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport RIR

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

IMPAIRMENT OF THE PILOT FROM USE OF DRUGS (COCAINE), AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CLEARANCE (OR ALTITUDE) FROM THE MOUNTAIN. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS AND THE PILOT'S PSYCHOLOGICAL CONDTION (DEPRESSION).

Factual narrative

THE PILOT TOOK THE AIRPLANE WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE OWNER AND FLEW IT FROM AN AIRPORT NEAR HIS RESIDENCE. AFTER ABOUT 25 MINUTES, THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH THE WEST SIDE OF MT RUBIDOUX, WHICH WAS ABOUT ONE MILE EAST-SOUTHEAST OF THE AIRPORT. AN EXAM OF THE CRASH SITE REVEALED EVIDENCE THAT THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE RISING TERRAIN WHILE IN A NEAR LEVEL FLIGHT ATTITUDE. ACQUAINTANCES REPORTED THE PILOT WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA, HAVING FLOWN FROM THE AIRPORT FOR OVER 10 YEARS. REPORTEDLY, HE HAD RECENTLY BECOME UNEMPLOYED AND WAS DEPRESSED. TOXOCOLOGY RESULTS INDICATED THE PRESENCE OF COCAINE AND BENZOYLECGONINE IN THE PILOT'S BLOOD AT LEVELS OF 340 AND 1330 NG/ML, RESPECTIVELY. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1990_LAX91LA003.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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