Beechcraft C-45H N403SE
17 October 1982 · Taft, California, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 17 October 1982 at about 19:45 local time, a Beechcraft C-45H registered N403SE, operated by M.h. Yarter, was involved in an accident near Taft, California, United States. 14 people were on board and 14 died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.
The record
- Date
- at 19:45
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Taft, California, United States
- Nearest airport
- Private Airport
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Beechcraft C-45H
- Registration
- N403SE
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- M.h. Yarter
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Skydiving
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Taft → Taft
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX83FA012
People
14 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
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 AIRCRAFT WAS ON A LOCAL FLIGHT INVOLVING A PARACHUTE JUMPING ACTIVITY. IN ADDITION TO THE PILOT, THERE WERE 12 PARACHUTISTS AND AN OBSERVER ON BOARD. THE PILOT INITIATED HIS TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 18. A WITNESS STATED THAT SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, THE ENGINE POWER WAS REDUCED TO CLIMB POWER, FOLLOWED BY THE GEAR RETRACTION. REPORTEDLY, THE AIRCRAFT HAD CLIMBED TO ABOUT 150 FT AGL WHEN THE NOSE PITCHED UP, TH PLANE ROLLED TO THE LEFT AND THEN IT CRASHED IN A STEEP LEFT BANK, NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOADED WELL BEYOND ITS MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT AND AFT CG LIMITS. THE AMOUNT OF FUEL ON BOARD WAS NOT VERIFIED, BUT EVEN WITH NO FUEL, THE PLANE WOULD HAVE BEEN ABOUT 580 LBS OVER THE MAXIMUM LIMIT. WITH 100 GALLONS, THE ESTIMATED GROSS WEIGHT WOULD HAVE BEEN ABOUT 9939 LBS WITH THE CG AT ABOUT 121 INCHES. THE MAXIMUM CERTIFICATED GROSS WEIGHT WAS 8750 LBS WITH AN AFT CG LIMIT OF 117.6 INCHES. EXTENSIVE GROUND FIRE DAMAGE, BUT NO PREIMPACT, MECHANICAL DISCREPANCIES EVIDENT.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Beechcraft C-45H accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Mar 1982 | Beechcraft C-45H | McAllen, Texas, United States | Robert Ramos | Fatal | 1 |
| 25 Jul 1982 | Beechcraft C-45H | Aurora, Colorado, United States | James E. Slocum | No injuries | - |
| 16 Jan 1982 | Beechcraft C-45H | Anoka, Minnesota, United States | Midcontinant Airlines | No injuries | - |
| 2 Feb 1981 | Beechcraft C-45H | Dillsburg, Pennsylvania, United States | Express Airway | Serious injuries | - |
| 5 Dec 1981 | Beechcraft C-45H | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | Jump Hawaii | Fatal | 11 |
| 1 Aug 1981 | Beechcraft C-45H | Livengood, Alaska, United States | Aurora Air SER | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Jan 1982 | Piper PA-28R-201T | Truckee, California, United States | Larry Laurich | No injuries | - |
| 1 Feb 1982 | Cessna 180K | El Cajon, California, United States | Hartley Warren | No injuries | - |
| 14 Jun 1982 | Cessna 182 | Truckee, California, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 30 Jun 1982 | Cessna 205 | El Centro, California, United States | Thomas James Sullivan | Minor injuries | - |
| 31 May 1982 | Cessna 182 | Truckee, California, United States | Charlie Roeschen | Fatal | 1 |
| 6 Nov 1982 | Cessna 172 | Antioch, California, United States | Executive Air | No injuries | - |