- Date
- September 16, 1992, 18:00 local (Sep 17, 1992, 01:00 UTC)
- Place
- Mount Shasta, CA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N5269MBeech 76
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 29, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920916037039A
- Case key
- 27453
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 improper en route decision to alter his course and to proceed over a mountainous area with inadequate altitude to clear the rising 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
The pilot, who held a flight instructor certificate, and the passenger, who held a private pilot certificate, took off and initially flew toward their southerly destination on an instrument flight plan. The passenger was employed by a television station which had hired the pilot to fly him to southern California for a photo assignment. It was a clear day, and while en route the pilot cancelled his flight plan. Thereafter, all FAA services were terminated. The pilot had indicated that during the flight he planned to fly via victor airway 23. The airplane proceeded about 23 NM east of course and approached Mount Shasta, elevation 14,162 feet MSL. Witnesses, who were located at about the 6,700 foot level on the side of the mountain, observed the airplane flying within about 40 feet of the tops of trees and toward rising terrain. The airplane appeared to reverse its course and then descend into the 7600 to 7800 ft MSL terrain whereupon a fire immediately started. No mechanical malfunctions were found with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5269M
- Reported as
- Beech 76
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- ME 22
- Airframe hours
- 2,136
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1G6D, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Operator
- Willamette Aviation, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Willamette Aviation, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 22, 1992 · 97 hours before
- Departed
- 3S2 · Aurora, OR
- Destination
- SCK · Stockton, 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
- 38
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 782 total · 61 in this make and model · 712 as pilot in command · 216 in the last 90 days · 133 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- 1O5, 25 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.