- Date
- February 6, 1990, 12:54 local (20:54 UTC)
- Place
- Chico, CA
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 8, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA reports
- 19900206001692A19900206001691A
- Case key
- 26609
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 failure of the pilots of N790T and N721L to see and avoid each other. Factors which contributed to the accident were: the pilot of the C-182P, N790T, was disoriented and improperly entered the traffic pattern due to recent marijuana use; the pilot of the BE-95, N721L, failed to properly execute a crosswind leg in the traffic pattern; and the local controller failed to visually maintain adequate separation of the two aircraft.
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 C-182P, N790T, had initially called 8.5 mi nw for landing, & was cleared to enter a left downwind. About 2 min later the plt reported he was coming in on the east side of the field, was cleared for a right downwind, and advised of the other acft in the right traffic pattern. The BE-95, N721L, had just made a touch-&-go and was turning to a downwind. The controllers reported that the turn was about a 30-DEG constant turn with no roll-out on the crosswind leg. The acft collided about 2 mi n of the arpt. The aim states, for recommended VFR traffic pattern operations, that arriving acft should enter the pattern abeam the midpoint of the runway. The tox exam of the plt of the C-182P, N790T, disclosed a positive cannabinoids (marijuana) finding, 0.098 mg/l, in the urine sample.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N721L
- Reported as
- Beech 95-55
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- TD-329
- Airframe hours
- 6,651
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Chico Flight Center
- Registered owner
- Dennis Heckerson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · January 25, 1990 · 8 hours before
- Airport
- CIC · Chico, runway 31R
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.
- Registration
- N790T
- Reported as
- Cessna 182P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18262370
- Airframe hours
- 2,714
- Engine
- Continental O-470S, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Timbuck 2 Flying Club
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 2, 1989 · 27 hours before
- Departed
- RDD · Redding, CA
- Airport
- CIC · Chico, runway 31R
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N721L
- Age
- 36
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 4,300 total
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N790T
- Age
- 42
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 383 total · 102 in this make and model · 338 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 60 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft broken
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CIC, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 2
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.