- Date
- May 17, 1986, 17:38 local (May 18, 1986, 00:38 UTC)
- Place
- Van Nuys, CA
- Injuries
- 6 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N320SDCessna 320D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860517017809A
- Case key
- 24914
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 acft was returning from a x-country flt when the accident occurred. Witnesses observed the acft on a low downwind leg and made two sudden steep turns, one to the east followed by a sudden steep turn to the north prior to a nose down impact into the ground. The witnesses reported seeing or hearing no mechanical difficulties with the aircraft prior to the crash. One witness stated the aircraft stalled during the last turn. A review of the recorded conversation between the pilot and the air traffic controller did not reveal any unusual circumstances during the landing approach.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N320SD
- Reported as
- Cessna 320D
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 320D0068
- Airframe hours
- 1,733
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520-B, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Stanley Daniels, M.D.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 10, 1986 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- MOJ · Mojave, CA
- Airport
- VNY · Van Nuys, runway 34L, 8,000 × 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
- 56
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 618 total · 76 in this make and model · 450 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- VNY, 2 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.