Page:NTSB Report, Paul Kelly Flying Service crash.pdf/5

 _ 2 - l. INVESTIGATION 1.1 History of the Flight

On November 14, 1965, the Paul Kelly Flying Serv1ce, Inc., was operating Lear Jet Model 23, N2h3F, as a free transportation flight for the six passen- gers from the Palm Springs Airport to Burbank, California. The aircraft was flown on one round trip between these places earlier 1n the day. The outbound segment of that sequence was flown under Visual Fllght Rules (VFR) and the return was under Instrument Fllght Rules (IFR). Both were flown mostly by the copilot who was relieved before the second round trip.

After the first round trip, the pilot who continued on duty w1th a new copilot, filed an IFR flight plan to Palm Springs and return. He declined a weather briefing, but had obtained one from the Thermal FSS at 1301, 1/ before the return segment of the first tr1p In declining the briefing he also re- marked that he had just been over the route. He then departed Burbank at 1552 on an IFR clearance issued only for the segment to Palm Springs and arrived at Palm Springs at 1645. After landing, the pilot remarked to the flight line superv1sor that he was late picking up passengers, and did not require re— fuelling. About 15 minutes later the passengers and crew boarded the aircraft for the return flight to Burbank. The pilot occupied the left cockpit seat and the copilot took the right seat.

The flight made a VFR departure from Runway 13 at Palm Springs at ap- prox1mate1y 1717. About a minute later the flight called the Thermal FSS, but when the FSS specialist responded promptly there was no answer. After 1/ All tlmes hereln are Paelflc standard, based on the 24-hour clock