- Date
- August 6, 1986, 11:15 local (18:15 UTC)
- Place
- Callahan, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N98998Cessna 421C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860806037709A
- Case key
- 24933
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
After dropping company executives off at medford, the pilot was to return to santa rosa empty. Witnesses along the 25 NM valley which ends at the accident site reported that the aircraft buzzed their locations at AGL altitudes variously described as '10 feet' and 'so low you could count the rivets.' Us forest svc personnel near the accident site reported that the aircraft flew over their position 'just above the trees' following the slope of the mountain upward. The accident site is on a popular hiking trail the pilot's girlfriend reportedly said she would like to visit. On site examination revealed that the aircraft first contacted the upper 5 feet of the treetops in a climb attitude. No preimpact failures of the acft were identified.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N98998
- Reported as
- Cessna 421C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 421C0113
- Airframe hours
- 2,519
- Engine
- Continental GTSI0-520-F-K, 375 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Executive/Corporate · Part 91
- Operator
- Telesite Corp.
- Registered owner
- Telesite Corporation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 10, 1986 · 90 hours before
- Departed
- MFR · Medford, OR
- Destination
- STS · Santa Rosa, CA
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
- 24
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,440 total · 370 in this make and model · 2,275 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- 105, 30 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.