- Date
- October 26, 1989, 15:23 local (22:23 UTC)
- Place
- Lake Berryessa, CA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5034BBeech F35
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 29, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891026043739A
- Case key
- 26598
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
Inadequate visual lookout by the pilot and his failure to maintain proper altitude. The power lines 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 and passenger planned a 40 NM pleasure flight to a neighboring airport for lunch. On the return flight, the pilot flew low over Lake Berryessa. While crossing the lake, the aircraft collided with two transmission wires that spanned the lake, then crashed. The lines were about 125 and 135 ft AGL and were depicted on the sectional aeronautical chart.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5034B
- Reported as
- Beech F35
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D-4301
- Engine
- Continental E-225-8, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Roy Niewald
- Registered owner
- Amarillo Blanco Flying Club
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 6, 1989 · 142 hours before
- Departed
- 045 · Vacaville, CA
- Destination
- STS · Sonama County, 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
- 66
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,400 total · 400 in this make and model · 2,340 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SUU, 19 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.