- Date
- December 22, 1983, 06:34 local (14:34 UTC)
- Place
- Modesto, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N5441DBeech H35
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19831222063039A
- Case key
- 24126
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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.
Analysis
The plt taxied & initiated a takeoff without obtaining a clearance. The tower controller observed the acft take off, immediately turn left, then collide with a 10 ft dirt bank, located between the parallel rwys. After hitting the dirt bank, the acft skidded across an adjoining taxiway before coming to rest. The plt was seriously injured & hospitalized. Prior to expiring on 1/2/84 he told his wife that the eng quit during takeoff & he switched the fuel selector valve trying to restart the eng. He reportedly said that he attempted to set the acft down on a parallel rwy. Also, his wife & a police officer stated the plt told them that he 'blacked out' during the takeoff sequence. During an exam of the acft, the main fuel selector was found in the off position. No eng malfunction was found. Autopsyrevealed evidence of a deep vein thrombosis with a pulmonary embolus with generalized cerebral arterioscerosis, coronarry arteriosclerosis, & arterial nephrosclerosis.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5441D
- Reported as
- Beech H35
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D4952
- Airframe hours
- 3,001
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-BA, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Murray Manufacturing Company
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 5, 1983 · 10 hours before
- Destination
- BIL · Billings, MT
- Airport
- MOD · Modesto, runway 10R, 3,466 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 72
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 7,000 total · 4,000 in this make and model · 7,000 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 150° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,700 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MOD
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.