Daniel Katz Found!

DATE/TIME: September 22, 2008, 9:00 a.m.

Initial Press Release: June 8, 2001, 7:30 p.m.,

INCIDENT: Overdue Aircraft/Search for Missing Person

LOCATION: San Bernardino Mountains/Middle Fork, Lytle Creek

VICTIM (S): Daniel Katz, age 24 years a resident of Mexico City

INVOLVED PARTIES IN ORIGINAL SEARCH EFFORTS: Governor's Office of Emergency Services, Civil Air Patrol, Riverside Sheriff's Department, San Bernardino Sheriff's Department Aviation and Volunteer Forces Unit

SUMMARY: On June 8, 2001, The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department was contacted by the California Office of Emergency Services (OES) to assist in the search of a possible downed aircraft in the Lytle Creek area of Fontana. A Search Management Team from the Sheriff's Volunteer Forces Division was sent to the scene to operate the search efforts.

The missing person was identified as Daniel Katz, 24 years of age, a resident of Mexico City and was believed to be the sole occupant on board the aircraft.

The aircraft was described as a Piper PA 28 Archer, brown and tan in color with tail number of N-8253W, rented from Bracket Airport in La Verne. The aircraft was rented for a flight from Brackett Airport in La Verne to Perris Airport in Riverside.

The PA 28 aircraft left Perris airport en route to Bracket Airport in La Verne on Sunday 6-3-01 at approximately 7 p.m., and had not been seen since. The Sheriff's Department coordinated search efforts with the Riverside Sheriff's Department, Governor's Office of Emergency Services, Civil Air Patrol, and San Bernardino Sheriff's Department air and volunteer ground search teams. The search area was in steep mountain terrain with extremely thick undergrowth making the search effort very difficult. The extensive search for Mr. Daniel Katz continued daily through June 25, 2001. However, Daniel Katz and the aircraft were not located.

UPDATE - September 22, 2008

On Saturday, September 20, 2008, at approximately 2:40 p.m., the Valley Patrol Ship Crew, Deputies Shawn Moore and Jeff Karp, while conducting routine patrol of the Lytle Creek area spotted what they believed to be wreckage of an unreported plane crash. The wreckage was located at approximately 5,700 foot elevation in very steep treacherous terrain on the north-facing slope in the area of Middle Fork in Lytle Creek.

On Sunday, September 21, 2008, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department Aviation Division inserted eight rope technical search and rescue team members from the West End and Central Station Search and Rescue Teams down to the wreckage site. At approximately 8:45 a.m., the tail numbers were confirmed to be that of the plane previously rented in June of 2001 by Daniel Katz. Also located within 400 feet of the plane wreckage were fragmented human remains. Coroner Investigator David Van Norman was also inserted into the wreckage area. The identity of the remains has not been positively identified; additional testing will be required to confirm the identity of the victim. However, based on the proximity and the location of the remains, authorities believe it to be Daniel Katz.

Refer: Sergeant Debbie Bauman

Station: Fontana Sheriff's Station

Phone No. (909) 356-6767

GARY PENROD, Sheriff-Coroner

San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department