# Accident 19980829022389A: Boeing A75N1, Big Bear, CA, August 29, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 29, 1998, 13:15 local time
- Place: Big Bear, CA
- Airport: Big Bear City Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: In Traffic Pattern-Circling
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.2301° N, 116.8601° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.2301&lon=-116.8601&mi=10
- Aircraft: N56856, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N56856-2018-01-25) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Boeing A75N1(PT17) (registry code 1380134, https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-a75n1-pt17) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental W670 series (registry code 17018, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-w670-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BOEING A75N1
- Reported engine: CONT W6706A
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 875 total, 120 in this make and model, 175 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX98LA279](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA279) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980829022389A

## Narrative

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

ACFT WAS INVOLVED IN AN AIR SHOW AND DECLARED AND EMERG DURING FLY BY, ACFT BECAME CAUGHT IN A STRONG DOWNDRAFT AND STRUCK THE GROUND. (.4) THE AIRCRAFT WAS PART OF A FLIGHT OF TWO AIRCRAFT CONDUCTING FOR-HIRE SIGHTSEEING FLIGHTS FROM THE AIRPORT. AFTER THE AIRCRAFT TURNED ON TO THE CROSSWIND LEG, DOWNDRAFTS WERE ENCOUNTERED BY BOTH AIRCRAFT.  THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT MADE A TURN TO THE LEFT AND THE TRAILING AIRCRAFT TURNED TO THE RIGHT.  THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT RECOVERED CLOSE TO THE GROUND, COLLIDED WITH A TELEPHONE POLE, AND CAME TO REST INVERTED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED BY A POSTIMPACT FIRE.  THE PILOT OF THE AIRCRAFT STATED THAT THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL ANOMALIES EXPERIENCED WITH THE AIRCRAFT.  THE AIRCRAFT WAS AT FULL POWER, BUT NOT GAINING ALTITUDE.  A WITNESS TO THE ACCIDENT REPORTED THAT APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE AIRPORT WERE RAIN SHOWERS.  THE AIRCRAFT WAS EXAMINED AND CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED.  NO MECHANICAL ANOMALIES WERE NOTED.  THIS WAS THE SIXTH FLIGHT OF THE DAY, WITH NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED WITH THE PREVIOUS FLIGHTS.  AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT THE WEATHER WAS DETERIORATING.  METEOROLOGICAL DATA SHOWED THE PRESENCE OF INSTABILITY AND CONVECTIV E ACTIVITY CONDUCIVE TO UP AND DOWNDRAFTS NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE. (-23) ON AUGUST 29, 1998, AT 1315 PDT, A BOEING A75N1, N56856, DEPARTED BIGBEAR CITY AIRPORT (L35), ON A COMMERCIAL FLIGHT, CARRYING ONE PASSENGER. THE INTENT OF THE FLIGHT WAS AN AIR TOUR OF THE BIG BEAR LAKE VICINITY. THE AIRCRAFT HAD FLOWN 5 PREVIOUS FLIGHTS UTILIZING BOTH RUNWAYS 08/26. WINDS THROUGHOUT THE DAY WERE LIGHT AND VARIABLE ALTHOUGH SOME CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY WAS NOTICED APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES SOUTH-EAST OF THE AIRPORT. N56856 TOOK OFF ON RUNWAY 08 FOLLOWING A SISTER SHIP. BOTH AIRCRAFT TURNED A RIGHT CROSSWIND, AND AT APPROXIMATELY 700 FEET AGL, THEY BOTH ENCOUNTERED A SEVERE DOWNDRAFT. THE LEAD AIRCRAFT TURNED ONTO A RIGHT DOWNWIND AND RECOVERED FROM THE DOWNDRAFT AT APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET AGL. N56856 TURNED LEFT AND REMAINED IN THE DOWNDRAFT WHICH SUBSEQUENTLY RESULTED IN THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTING POWER LINES, ROLLING OVER ON ITS BACK AND CONTACTING THE GROUND. THE ENGINE WAS PRODUCING FULL POWER THROUGHOUT THE INCIDENT.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB LAX98LA279](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA279), Aug 29, 1998: Boeing Stearman A75N1 (N56856), Big Bear, CA, destroyed. Probable cause: The pilot's encounter with an unfavorable wind condition, which caused the aircraft to descend at a rate that exceeded the aircraft's climb capability.

## Other reports on N56856 (1)

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

- [Accident 19750927030542A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19750927030542A), Sep 27, 1975: Boeing A75 (N56856), Los Banos, CA, Substantial damage. N56856 taxying off rwy. N54671 heading for rwy. R wgs collided. Ag strip,uncontrolled.

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.