Beechcraft J35 N8385D

Summary

On 13 February 1982 at about 19:25 local time, a Beechcraft J35 registered N8385D, operated by Gary W. Niva, was involved in an accident near Gilroy, California, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

13 February 1982 at 19:25

Classification

Accident

Location

Gilroy, California, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Beechcraft J35

Registration

N8385D

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Gary W. Niva

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

San Jose → Las Vegas

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX82FA071

4 people died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PLT WAS ADVISED DURING THE WX BRIEFING THAT VFR FLIGHT WAS NOT RECOMMEDED ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS & THAT SAN JOSE WAS REPORTING 3,000 FT SCATTERED; 4,000 FT BROKEN; 9,000 FT OVERCAST WITH 10 MI VISIBILITY WITH LIGHT RAIN. APPROXIMATELY 36 MIN AFTER TAKEOFF THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED DESCENDING OUT OF THE CLOUDS & A WING HAD SEPARATED FROM THE ACFT. WITNESSES STATED THAT LIGHT RAIN & FOG EXISTED IN THE AREA AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN & WAS SCATTERED OVER AN AREA APPROXIMATELY 1-1/2 MI IN DIAMETER. THE LEFT WING & BOTH STABILATORS HAD SEPARATED IN FLIGHT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.