LAX82FA048

NTSB accident investigation · Beech 58 · Cherry Valley, CA · January 20, 1982

Accident · FatalField investigationFinal report

Date: January 20, 1982, 09:50 local (17:50 UTC)
Place: Cherry Valley, CA
Injuries: 2 fatal
Damage: Destroyed
Phase of flight: Enroute
Aircraft: N9395QBeech 58
Weather: Instrument (IMC) · Day
Status: Completed · report January 20, 1983
Report: Approved by Office Director
FAA report: 19820120066669A
Case key: 70213

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Sequence of events

NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.

In flight encounter with weatherCruise - normal

Weather condition - low ceilingFactor

Weather condition - icing conditionsFactor

Weather condition - rainFactor

In flight collision with terrain/waterManeuvering - turn to reverse direction

Vfr flight into imc - continuedPilot in commandCause

Terrain condition - mountainous/hillyFactor

Analysis

At 0702 the plt received a weather briefing for a VFR flight to fresno. The area forecast contained flight precautions for obscured mountains & IMC in the sierra nevadas, and occassional moderate icing below 15,000 ft. the flight departed at 0728. The aircraft made an initial impact on the top of a ridge at an altitude of about 3,500 ft MSL.

Aircraft

Registration: N9395Q
Reported as: Beech 58
Category: Airplane
Serial number: TH-147
Engine: Continental IO-520-C-5, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage: Destroyed
Flight: Personal · Part 91
Operator: B & D Aircraft
Registered owner: Oaklahoma Aircraft Corp.
Departed: TUS · Tucson, AZ
Destination: FAT · Fresno, CA

N9395QRegistration cancelled Mar 11, 2013 · Beech 58S/N TH-147 · Built 1971 Airframe modelBeech 58 Engine modelContinental IO-520 seriesReciprocating

Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role: Pilot
Age: 38
Certificate: Commercial
Airplane ratings: Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
Instrument ratings: Airplane
Medical: Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
Flight hours: 1,829 total · 1,675 as pilot in command

Weather

Conditions: Instrument (IMC) · Day
Wind: 240° at 9 knots
Temperature: 106 °F
Observed at: BUO, 3 nm away

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19820120066669ABeech 58 · Cherry Valley, CAImpacted fog-obscured mountain ridge in near level flight. Icing,turbulence in area. No flight plan. VFR flight.Jan 20, 1982 · N9395Q · Destroyed · 1 fatal