- Date
- January 10, 1989, 10:12 local (18:12 UTC)
- Place
- Ripon, CA
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8974MBeech 35-B33
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 5, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890110000379A
- Case key
- 26201
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
Continued flight by the pilot into known icing conditions and structural (wing) icing, which subsequently resulted in an uncontrolled stall. A contributing factor was the icing condition.
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
Before takeoff, the plt rcvd a wx briefing for the proposed route of flt. This included info about the freezing lvl (forecast at 5000 ft) & a precaution for moderate icing conds. The briefing did not include SIGMET lima 1 info about moderate to severe icing conds, but the sigment was not valid for the plt's proposed route of flt. However, the plt rcvd clnc for an amended route of flt, which went thru the edge of an area defined by SIGMET lima 1. Shortly after leveling at 11,000', the plt rprtd the acft was in icing conds & would not maintain altitude. As the ARTCC controller was coordinating with TRACON for a lower altitude, the plt rprtd the acft was stalling. Shortly thereafter, it crashed in a right wing down, nose low attitude & burned. The acft was not equipped for flt in known icing conds.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8974M
- Reported as
- Beech 35-B33
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- CD-728
- Airframe hours
- 3,223
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-BA, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Richard Enterprises, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Richard Enterprises Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 4, 1987 · 168 hours before
- Departed
- HWD · Hayward, CA
- Destination
- EMT · El Monte, CA
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 49
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 673 total · 8 in this make and model · 640 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 45 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.