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| AN Say ery a . N: “onal AGS | Tresporintion - ” _ Safety Board aes Safety Information Washington.D.C. 20594 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday SB 77-44/2184 October 6, 1977 (202} 426-8787 The National Transportation Safety Board said today that the crash of a chartered jet which killed four persons, including the mother of entertainer Frank Sinatra, was caused by the crew's failure to properly interpret their Flight clearance. ot rs tore dew oy 7 7 The plane, a Gates Learjet 24B, operated by Jet Avia Ltd., took off at 1655:001/ on January 6, 1977 from ruaway 30 at Palm Springs Municipal Airport, California on an Instrument Flight Rules clearance to Las Vegas, Nevada. About five minutes later the Learjet crashed in the mountains at approximately 9, 700 feet altitude some 22 miles northwest of Palm Springs. The local weather observation reported a ceiling estimated at 3,000 feet, broken, 5,000 feet overcast, visibility 8 miles, light rain, wind calm. J The jet's air traffic control clearance cequired it to make a right turn after takeoff and position itself on a straight line coursg between Palm Springs and nent nine Palms. The jet was to | maintain an altitude of 9,000 feet and was told to report crossing” the Palm Springs VOR TAC2! O51 de ecree radial 19 mile fix. The Board's investigation showed the plane took off, climbed to 9,000 feet, but never changed its runway heading and flew directly into the mountains, killed the two-man crew, and two passengers, 82-year-old Mrs. Natalie Sinatra, and her traveling companion. fe etaarn Alcea a rumen RE ane eh eth te teat Se ory pean a in : "The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause of the accident was the flightcrew's misinterpretation of an instrument flight rules clearance issued by the Palm Springs Departure . Control and subsequent Air Traffic Control instructions. ve nk ee eens eee te i , "Contributing to the accident was the controller's failure to detect the aircraft's deviation from the route of flight contained in the ATC clearance and the flightcrew's failure to recognize their proximity to the high terrain." 2 333 PLM,, P.S,T. af soa ij 2/ A radio navigation station -- more -- fe oment RTE CUS eC eI aoe, ale oe toe