# NTSB LAX94LA011: Beech C90A, N487JD, Napa, CA, October 12, 1993

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report
- Date: October 12, 1993, 12:55 local (19:55 UTC)
- Place: Napa, CA
- Coordinates: 38.550815, -122.14923 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.5508&lon=-122.1492&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 3 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report August 30, 1994
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 28567
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX94LA011
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/28567/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX94LA011

## Probable cause

THE DUAL STUDENT'S IMPROPER USE OF POWERPLANT CONTROLS, AND INADEQUATE SUPERVISION BY THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI).

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown
  - powerplant controls - improper use of, dual student (cause)
  - supervision - inadequate, pilot in command(cfi) (cause)

## Analysis

AN APPROACH WAS MADE TO RUNWAY 24 TO PRACTICE A SHORT FIELD LANDING.  THE DUAL STUDENT ESTABLISHED THE PROPER GLIDEPATH AND AIRSPEED.  AT ABOUT THE TIME THE AIRPLANE CROSSED OVER THE THRESHOLD, THE DUAL STUDENT INADVERTENTLY PLACED BOTH POWER LEVERS IN REVERSE.  THE AIRPLANE 'VEERED' SHARPLY TO THE LEFT, THEN PITCHED DOWN.  THE CFI ADVANCED BOTH POWER LEVERS TO FULL POWER AND APPLIED RIGHT RUDDER AND UP ELEVATOR, BUT WITHOUT SUCCESS.  THE AIRPLANE PITCHED DOWNWARD AND LANDED HARD, DAMAGING THE WING SPARS AND ENGINE MOUNTS.

## Factual narrative

On October 12, 1993, at 1300 hours Pacific daylight time, a Beech C-90A, N487JD, sustained a hard landing on runway 24 at Napa County Airport (APC), Napa, California.  The pilots were completing a visual flight rules instructional flight at the time; the pilot had filed and activated an instrument flight rules flight plan, but canceled the flight plan when the flight was 20 miles east of Napa.  The airplane, operated by IASCO, Napa, California, sustained substantial damage.  Neither the certificated airline transport pilot/certified flight instructor (CFI), the certificated commercial pilot/dual student, nor the passenger was injured.  Visual meteorological conditions prevailed.  The flight originated at Burbank Airport, Burbank, California, at 1115 hours.

The CFI reported in a telephone interview conducted on October 13, 1993, when the airplane was over the runway threshold, at 70 feet above the ground, the student flying the airplane inadvertently placed the power levers in reverse. The CFI immediately pushed both power levers full forward, but without success.  The airplane pitched downward and landed hard.  Both engines were found displaced downward about 20 degrees with their associated wing spars.

The CFI reiterated his telephone statement in the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1/2.  He further said that he had instructed the student to do a short field landing.

## Aircraft

- Registration: N487JD (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: BEECH C90A
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: LJ1199
- Airframe hours: 2255
- Engines: P&W PT6A-21 580 horsepower turbo prop
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Instructional, Part 91
- Operator: Iasco
- Registered owner: Jal Enterprises
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, September 8, 1993, 57 hours before
- Departed: BUR, BURBANK, CA
- Destination: APC
- Flight plan: IFR
- Airport: APC, Napa County, runway 24, 5,007 × 150 ft, concrete

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 57; airline transport, flight instructor; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: right; flight hours: 19,257 total, 1,020 in this make and model, 19,077 as pilot in command, 105 in the last 90 days, 70 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 64 °F
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 19931012038649A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19931012038649A), Oct 12, 1993: Beech C90A, Napa, CA, Substantial damage. Short field landing. Student accidently reversed props. CFI tried recover. Pitched down. Landed hard. Spar damaged.

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.