- Date
- March 28, 1992, 19:40 local (Mar 29, 1992, 03:40 UTC)
- Place
- Devore, CA
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9652RBeech B95
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report January 4, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920328007909A
- Case key
- 27415
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 failure to maintain an adequate altitude while flying over mountainous terrain. Factors related to the accident were: the low clouds, dark night, and mountainous terrain.
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
Approaching the destination airport in a mountain pass area, the pilot encountered low ceilings and marginal VFR weather conditions. It was a dark night. Unable to reach his destination, the pilot reversed course. While flying northbound the airplane cruised into the side of a mountain. Results of the toxicological examination revealed tetrahydrocannabinol carboxylic acid (marihuana) in the pilot's blood at a level of 0.003 ug/ml.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9652R
- Reported as
- Beech B95
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- TD-349
- Airframe hours
- 5,340
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Hmdr Enterprises
- Registered owner
- Hmdr Enterprises
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 25, 1992 · 7 hours before
- Departed
- L15 · Henderson, NV
- Destination
- HMT · Hemet, 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
- 26
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 467 total · 81 in this make and model · 412 as pilot in command · 37 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 240° at 1 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SBD, 12 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.