- Date
- July 8, 2023, 12:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Shelter Cove, CA · 200 yards in the Pacific Ocean
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9520YBeech P35
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of engine power (partial)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20230708022399A
- Case key
- 192580
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
A partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because the airplane was not located and recovered.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he departed with 74 gallons of fuel onboard for the flight of about 84 nm. After an uneventful flight the pilot selected the runway that was favored by prevailing winds. He then extended the landing gear and reduced power while the airplane was on the downwind leg of the airport traffic pattern over the ocean. The pilot encountered a partial loss of engine power as he turned to the base leg and the airplane began to descend from 800 ft above ground level. He performed emergency procedures for a loss of power from memory, but the engine continued to run at low power. Unable to maintain altitude, the airplane impacted the ocean and sank. The pilot and passenger, who were both seriously injured, egressed the airplane and swam to shore. Subsequent efforts to locate and recover the airplane were unsuccessful.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9520Y
- Reported as
- Beech P35
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D-7016
- Built
- 1962
- Airframe hours
- 4,174
- Engine
- Continental IO-470-N, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 5, 2023
- Departed
- 1O2 · Lakeport, CA
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- 0Q5 · Shelter Cove
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display, Onboard weather, Satellite tracking device, Stall warning system, ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- 39
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 15, 2022
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 553.5 total · 97.5 in this make and model · 488.2 as pilot in command · 25.2 in the last 90 days · 8.3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,700 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KFOT, 32 nm away
- METAR
- KFOT 081935Z AUTO 30006KT 10SM OVC017 14/12 A3000 RMK AO1
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 25, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 161 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.