Beechcraft 35-B33 N8974M

Summary

On 10 January 1989 at about 18:12 local time, a Beechcraft 35-B33 registered N8974M, operated by Richard Enterprises, Inc., was involved in an accident near Ripon, California, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 January 1989 at 18:12

Classification

Accident

Location

Ripon, California, United States

Coordinates

37.7495, -121.1208

Aircraft

Beechcraft 35-B33

Registration

N8974M

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Richard Enterprises, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hayward → El Monte

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX89FA082

3 people died.

CONTINUED FLIGHT BY THE PILOT INTO KNOWN ICING CONDITIONS AND STRUCTURAL (WING) ICING, WHICH SUBSEQUENTLY RESULTED IN AN UNCONTROLLED STALL. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE ICING CONDITION.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

BEFORE TAKEOFF, THE PLT RCVD A WX BRIEFING FOR THE PROPOSED ROUTE OF FLT. THIS INCLUDED INFO ABOUT THE FREEZING LVL (FORECAST AT 5000 FT) & A PRECAUTION FOR MODERATE ICING CONDS. THE BRIEFING DID NOT INCLUDE SIGMET LIMA 1 INFO ABOUT MODERATE TO SEVERE ICING CONDS, BUT THE SIGMENT WAS NOT VALID FOR THE PLT'S PROPOSED ROUTE OF FLT. HOWEVER, THE PLT RCVD CLNC FOR AN AMENDED ROUTE OF FLT, WHICH WENT THRU THE EDGE OF AN AREA DEFINED BY SIGMET LIMA 1. SHORTLY AFTER LEVELING AT 11,000', THE PLT RPRTD THE ACFT WAS IN ICING CONDS & WOULD NOT MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. AS THE ARTCC CONTROLLER WAS COORDINATING WITH TRACON FOR A LOWER ALTITUDE, THE PLT RPRTD THE ACFT WAS STALLING. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, IT CRASHED IN A RIGHT WING DOWN, NOSE LOW ATTITUDE & BURNED. THE ACFT WAS NOT EQUIPPED FOR FLT IN KNOWN ICING CONDS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.