# Incident 19980311006999I: Beech 76, San Jose, CA, March 11, 1998

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 11, 1998, 18:00 local time
- Place: San Jose, CA
- Airport: San Jose International
- Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 37.3394° N, 121.8950° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of San Jose, CA, within about 8 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.3394&lon=-121.8950&mi=10
- Aircraft: N59DL, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N59DL) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Beech 76 (registry code 1153005, https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-76) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BEECH 76
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,700 total, 70 in this make and model, 20 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980311006999I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

NARRATIVE: ON MARCH 11, 1998, A BEECH 76, N59DL, DEPARTED SAN JOSE AIRPORT (SJC) ENROUTE TO CARLSBAD AIRPORT (CRQ), CA AT APPROXIMATELY 1755L PST ON A NIGHT VFR FLIGHT. ON CLIMB OUT THE AIRCRAFT LOST ALL ELECTRICAL POWER. THE PILOT, MR. STEVE HAMERSLAG, DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AT 1800L AND RETURNED TO SJC, MAKING AN UNEVENTFUL LANDING AT 1807L. CAUSING OF MALFUNCTION DETERMINED THAT A BLOCKING DIODE HAD SHORTED TO GROUND, THEREBY CAUSING ALL ELECTRICAL POWER TO FAIL ON THE AIRCRAFT. OTHER FACTORS DETERMINED THAT THE AIRCRAFT BATTERY HAD INSUFFICIENT CHARGE TO SUPPORT AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE. INVESTIGATION DETERMINED THAT THE PILOT RECEIVED A BATTERY "JUMP START" PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. ^PRIVACY DATA O^

## Other reports on N59DL (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 20241101016789I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20241101016789I), Nov 1, 2024: Beech 76 (N59DL), Camarillo, CA, Minor damage. This was an instructional flight in preparation for a multi engine practical test. This portion of the flight was in the pattern at kcma doing touch and go…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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