- Date
- July 20, 1990, 05:56 local (12:56 UTC)
- Place
- Santee, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N72035Beech B36TC
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Dawn
- Status
- Completed · report June 8, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900720027569A
- Case key
- 26646
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 decision to attempt VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions, and his loss of control due to spatial disorientation. Factors contributing to the accident were: the pilot's failure to obtain a weather briefing, the existing weather conditions, and physical impairment as a result of presciption medicine.
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 wx at departure was indefinite ceiling 900 obscured, visibility 2 mi in fog. According to witnesses, the aircraft departed to the west from runway 27. About 1.5 miles from the runway the witnesses heard loud engine sounds going eastbound, then the sounds of the crash. The tower was not open at the time of departure. The day before the accident the pilot had a surgical procedure performed on his foot and hydrocodone (vicodin) was prescribed for pain. Hydrocodone was detected in the toxicological tests at a level of 1.2 mg/kg, significantly above the theraputic dose levels. Hydrocodone is an opiate compound which causes drowsiness, mental clouding and impairment of mental and physical performance.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N72035
- Reported as
- Beech B36TC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- EA-430
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520-UB, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Orlyn L. Jones
- Registered owner
- Orlyn L. Jones
- Departed
- SEE
- Destination
- DAG · Barstow, 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
- 62
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 3,200 total · 850 in this make and model · 3,100 as pilot in command · 90 in the last 90 days · 35 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Dawn
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 900 ft
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- SEE, 1 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.