On Mon, 14 Feb 2005 05:26:54 GMT, "Gene Whitt"
wrote:

The pilot in command decided to try making a spiral down to the airport. and
lost control in the process.

The victims, according to autopsy had been recently smoking weed.

A few weeks after the accident I had occasion to call Travis, and
popped the question to the specialist as to why they had not sent
the aircraft to Angwin nearby at 1800 feet. The response was that
Angwin had no reported weather. Slince that time I have made it a
point to make night landings at Angwin as a part of my training program.
Gene Whitt

Well, he probably was simply stating that sending them to Angwin
might have been considered a waste of time and fuel, since they had no
way of knowing whether they could get in there. This is different
from stating that ATC won't mention nearby airports simply because
they have no weather reports.

Furthermore, insinuating that ATC was at fault for an accident
involving marijuana and a pilot who did not have the skills to make a
descending spiral on instruments, is a bit harsh, in my opinion.