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Slick 40X departed Albuquerque at approximately 0823 m.s.t., on a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan with San Francisco International Airport as the destination with an estimated time en route of 4 hours 15 minutes. Gross weight and the center of gravity were within prescribed limits. There were five non-revenue passengers aboard. No briefing of the passengers on emergency procedures and exits was accomplished by the crew nor was one required. Among the survivors, only two testified that they were familiar with the location of the emergency exits and how they operated.
Following departure from Albuquerque, no en route radio contacts were made with FAA traffic control facilities until 1038[1], at which time the Pase Robles, California, Flight Service Station was contacted by the flight. They requested the San Francisco, Alameda, and Oakland weather. The San Francisco weather given the flight was the 1025 Special indefinite ceiling 300 feet; sky obscured; visibility 1/16 mile in fog and smoke, temperature 56; dewpoint 56; wind from the north at 6 knots; altimeter 30,13; runway 28R visual range (RVR)[2] 1,900 feet. The 100 Alameda weather was indefinite ceiling 200 feets sky obscured, visibility 1/4 mile in fog, temperature 52; dewpoint 50; wind from the east-northeast at 5 knots. The 1000 Oakland weather was balloon ceiling 16,000 feet broken clouds; overcast cirriform; visibility 1/2 mile in ground fog; temperature 58; dewpoint 55; wind calm; runway 29 visual range 3,200 feet; runway 27R visibility 7/8 of a mile.
At 1053, the crew of Slick 40Z contacted Oakland Flight Service Station, reported their position over the ML Hamilton Intersection, and closed out their VFR flight plan. The crew requested and was given the San Francisco 1200-1600 terminal forecast of 3,000 feet scattered clouds; ceiling 10,000 feet overcast; visibility 3 miles in ground fog.
The flight from Albuquerque to the San Francisco area was flown in visual weather conditions, and there were no in-flight failures of radio equipment en route.
At approximately 1056, the crew of Slick 40Z reported that they were descending in accordance with VFR and requested an IFR clearance into San Francisco. San Francisco Approach Controle advised that the San Francisco weather was indefinite ceiling 200 feet; sky obscured, visibility 1/16 mile in fog and smoke; and that the advised that they would hold in the San Jose area and maintain VFR, and they were given an altimeter setting of 30.11.
Slick 40Z continued to hold VFR and at 1122, 1140, and 1151, the crew was advised of the weather at San Francisco International Airport. The 1140 and 1151 reports indicated weather at and slightly above the landing minimums of 200 feet ceiling and 1/2 mile visibility, although the RVR readings for runway 28R were less than 2,000 feet. At 1152, the crew called San Francisco Approach Control and gave their position as just north of the Woodside VOR at 3,000 feet on a heading of 150 degrees and requested an approach to the San Francisco International Airport. Instructions
- ↑ All times in the remainder of this report are Pacific standard based on the 24-hour clock.
- ↑ In the U.S., runway visual range is defined as an instrumentally derived value, based on standard calibrations, which represents the horizontal distance a pilot will see down to runway from the approach end, it is based on the sighting of either high intensity runway lights or on the visual contrast of other targets, whichever yields the greater visual range.
