Reno - Susanville

On December 31, 1992 at 03:36 PM, Reno - Susanville experienced a crash involving Rockwell Grand Commander 690, operated by Medic Air, with the event recorded near Herlong California.

The flight was categorized as ambulance and the reported phase was flight at a mountains crash site.

2 people were known to be on board, 2 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 1, crew fatalities: 1, passengers on board: 1, passenger fatalities: 1, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is weather. The pilot and flight nurse were en route to pick up a medical patient. The airplane experienced an in-flight breakup while flying by the leeward side of the sierra nevada mountains in the general area where standing lenticular clouds had been observed. No evidence was found that the pilot obtained a weather briefing from flight service or the duat vendors prior to departure. Pilots flying in the general area had reported airspeed variances from plus 60 to minus 40 knots. An in-flight weather advisory for occasional moderate turbulence was in effect. About one hour after the accident the weather service issued a sigmet for severe turbulence. Cause: an inadvertent encounter with severe turbulence which exceeded the design strength of the airplane's structure. Both occupants were killed.

Aircraft reference details include registration N300CP, MSN 690-11374, year of manufacture 1977.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 40.1435°, -120.1347°.