- Date
- August 23, 1987, 11:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Salton City, CA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N3784QBeech C-55
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 28, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870823083029A
- Case key
- 25422
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Instructor pilot's inability to recover control of the aircraft after it entered a spin.
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
A ground witness observed the aircraft at a low altitude, climbing, with the landing gear extended. He stated that he heard the engine sounds decrease and observed the aircraft roll over into a spin. The witness said the aircraft rolled inverted during one spinning turn but returned to an upright attitude before colliding with the terrain. Exam of the propellers indicated that the left propeller was feathered. Exam of the engines did not disclose any malfunctions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3784Q
- Reported as
- Beech C-55
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- TE356
- Airframe hours
- 1,714
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-C, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Palm Springs Flight Center
- Registered owner
- Carlson, Stuart H
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 10, 1987 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- PSP · Palm Springs, 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
- 60
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 12,000 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 93 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TRM
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.