Fog Led to Vegas Plane Crash that Killed 6 in July: NTSB

According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), a thick and unexpected slab of fog contributed to the crash of the jet that killed six Southern California residents on their way home from Las Vegas in the early morning hours of July 8.

The Cessna 550 crashed in a field 800 feet north of the French Valley Airport runway near Murietta, Calif. around 4:11 a.m. that Saturday.

The NTSB’s preliminary report said that the airplane leveled off at 19,000 feet after departing from Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas at 3:16 a.m. without incident.

According to the NTSB, the pilot, 25-year-old Riese Lenders, made two attempts to land in the fog. During his first, the plane descended to 1,600 feet before aborting the attempt. Lenders then requested clearance to attempt a second landing, flying back up to 5,000 feet before receiving that clearance.

The plane crashed during Lenders’ second attempt, bursting into flames and killing Lenders, his co-pilot Manuel Vargas-Regalado, 32, and their four passengers, Lindsey Gleiche, 31, of Huntington Beach (who was Lenders’ girlfriend), Abigail Tellez-Vargas, 33, of Murrieta, Alma Razick, 51, of Temecula, and Ibrahem Razick, 46, of Temecula.

A final report on the crash is expected in a year or two, once the NTSB thoroughly examines all of the wreckage, which it transported to a secure facility.