Meridian down in Concord 3 confirmed / 1 critical

cbs5.com/local/local_story_355145825.html

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N1AM

Shows up on FA as Meridian, according to FAA it appears to be a Malibu.

Negative on JetProp. Just checked the list.

FAA shows TIO-540 but all their flights on FA show P46T (Meridian).

Tom Sullivan on KFBK.com is talking about it. He was just out flying IFR in the region and said it was a low ceiling with snow.

No snow in this region. He must have been talking about the area east of Sacramento (KFBK is a Sacramento station).

I should know. I’m sitting here looking out my window in Oakland which is not too far from Concord. That area is relatively flat. There may be snow south of Concord on Mt. Diablo or the foothills further south but not in Concord.

KCCR 212249Z 08003KT 1SM -RA BR BKN006 OVC015 07/05 A3018 RMK AO2 P0011

Conditions at: KCCR (CONCORD, CA, US) observed 2253 UTC 21 December 2006
Temperature: 6.7C (44F)
Dewpoint: 5.0C (41F) [RH = 89%]
Pressure (altimeter): 30.18 inches Hg (1022.1 mb)
[Sea-level pressure: 1020.5 mb]
Winds: from the ENE (60 degrees) at 3 MPH (3 knots; 1.6 m/s)
Visibility: 1.00 miles (1.61 km)
Ceiling: 600 feet AGL
Clouds: broken clouds at 600 feet AGL
overcast cloud deck at 1500 feet AGL
Weather: -RA BR (light rain, mist)

Back up about three hours and go up a thousand feet and you might find snow. Reports indicate the plane was on its second instrument approach. I don’t think they have an ILS but rather RNAV/VOR etc…

That still would not get snow here. It was not that cold last night. The mountains that get snow around here are about 2000-4000 high and it’s only the top portion that gets the snow.

The critically injured passenger - a 12 years old boy - died.

I don’t think they have an ILS but rather RNAV/VOR etc…

CCR does not have an ILS, but they have a LDA with minimums of 420 feet AGL and 3/4 of a mile, below the overcast layer at the time. It is like the localizer part of an ILS (no glideslope), but tracks in to the runway at ~ 10 degree offset to the runway heading.

Somehow that plane got from cruise at FL220 into the ground ~26 feet. In the process it seems to have encountered weather… low visibility (clouds) and perhaps low temps and/or precipitation.

You seem to think that because the weather at your house was nice, that it couldn’t be worse 20-30 miles away and at a higher altitude. I suggest you don’t take the short cut to the coast next time you get lost.

Sad.