- Date
- December 4, 1985, 22:30 local (Dec 5, 1985, 06:30 UTC)
- Place
- Sacramento, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N6541ABeech F33A
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19851204059539A
- Case key
- 24885
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
On December 4, 1985 at 2230 PST, a Beech F33A, operated by the owner, collided with trees during a missed approach at Sacramento metropolitan airport, Sacramento, California, while on a business flight. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time; an instrument clearance had been issed. The aircraft was destroyed and the owner/ pilot, the only occupant, received fatal injuries. The flight originated at riverside, California; the time is unknown. According to Sacramento metropolitan tower personnel, the instrument-rated private pilot requested an instrument approach and had received clearance to land when he disappeared from radar contact, approximately 1/4 mile north of runway 16 at an altitude of 100 feet AGL. The wreckage was subsequently located approximately 1 1/2 miles west of the airport, where it had crashed and burned.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6541A
- Reported as
- Beech F33A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- CE1011
- Engine
- Continental IO-520 SER, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Edward F. Dibble
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 19, 1985
- Departed
- RAL · Riverside, CA
- Destination
- SMF
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- SMF · Sacramento Metro, runway 16, 8,600 × 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
- 70
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 3,100 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 70° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SMF, 1 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.