- Date
- October 22, 1989, 11:27 local (18:27 UTC)
- Place
- Goleta, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N288BHBeech V35
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 22, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891022044649A
- Case key
- 26596
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
The pilot's attempt to conduct visual flight into adverse weather conditions at an altitude that would not provide terrain clearance. The weather condition was a related factor.
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 pilot did not file a flight plan for his flight across mountainous terrain. After takeoff, he climbed under an overcast sky toward a mountain pass. There were no further communications with the pilot after he acknowledged that radar service was terminated. The pilot's family reported him missing late in the afternoon of the day of his departure. Low ceilings and visibilities existed throughout the day and continued unitl the next afternoon. The aircraft wreckage was found on a mountain top by search personnel on the day after the aircraft was reported missing. Impact occurred at 2,200 feet MSL. The pilot of another aircraft reported the ceiling in the area was 1,600 feet with the sky obscured.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N288BH
- Reported as
- Beech V35
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D8089
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-B/BA, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Hendrick, William G
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- SBA · Santa Barbara, CA
- Destination
- SMX · Santa Maria, 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
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,650 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 5 knots
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- SBA, 15 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.