Beechcraft 95-55 N721L
6 February 1990 · Chico, California, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 6 February 1990 at about 20:54 local time, a Beechcraft 95-55 registered N721L, operated by Chico Flight Center, was involved in an accident near Chico, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 20:54
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Chico, California, United States
- Nearest airport
- Chico (CIC)
- Coordinates
- 39.7398, -121.8298
- Aircraft
- Beechcraft 95-55
- Registration
- N721L
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Chico Flight Center
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX90FA082
People
3 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
THE FAILURE OF THE PILOTS OF N790T AND N721L TO SEE AND AVOID EACH OTHER. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT OF THE C-182P, N790T, WAS DISORIENTED AND IMPROPERLY ENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN DUE TO RECENT MARIJUANA USE; THE PILOT OF THE BE-95, N721L, FAILED TO PROPERLY EXECUTE A CROSSWIND LEG IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN; AND THE LOCAL CONTROLLER FAILED TO VISUALLY MAINTAIN ADEQUATE SEPARATION OF THE TWO AIRCRAFT.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE C-182P, N790T, HAD INITIALLY CALLED 8.5 MI NW FOR LANDING, & WAS CLEARED TO ENTER A LEFT DOWNWIND. ABOUT 2 MIN LATER THE PLT REPORTED HE WAS COMING IN ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE FIELD, WAS CLEARED FOR A RIGHT DOWNWIND, AND ADVISED OF THE OTHER ACFT IN THE RIGHT TRAFFIC PATTERN. THE BE-95, N721L, HAD JUST MADE A TOUCH-&-GO AND WAS TURNING TO A DOWNWIND. THE CONTROLLERS REPORTED THAT THE TURN WAS ABOUT A 30-DEG CONSTANT TURN WITH NO ROLL-OUT ON THE CROSSWIND LEG. THE ACFT COLLIDED ABOUT 2 MI N OF THE ARPT. THE AIM STATES, FOR RECOMMENDED VFR TRAFFIC PATTERN OPERATIONS, THAT ARRIVING ACFT SHOULD ENTER THE PATTERN ABEAM THE MIDPOINT OF THE RUNWAY. THE TOX EXAM OF THE PLT OF THE C-182P, N790T, DISCLOSED A POSITIVE CANNABINOIDS (MARIJUANA) FINDING, 0.098 MG/L, IN THE URINE SAMPLE.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beechcraft 95-55 95-55 | N721L | Chico Flight Center | Destroyed |
| Cessna 182P 182P | N790T | - | Destroyed |
Other Beechcraft 95 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Jul 1990 | Beechcraft 95-C55 | Fullerton, California, United States | Wings Aviation, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 22 Sep 1990 | Beechcraft 95-B55 | Smithfield, Pennsylvania, United States | Great American Aviation Inc | Fatal | 2 |
| 18 Oct 1990 | Beechcraft 95-C55 | Watkins, Colorado, United States | Denver Air Center | No injuries | - |
| 22 Nov 1990 | Beechcraft 95-55 | Hayden Lake, Idaho, United States | Perry A Christianson | Fatal | 3 |
| 22 Nov 1990 | Beechcraft 95-A55 | Woodland, California, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 18 Nov 1989 | Beechcraft 95-B55B | Lakeville, Minnesota, United States | Dean Frye | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Apr 1990 | Cessna 180 | Soledad, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 10 Oct 1990 | Cessna 150 | Riverside, California, United States | PAR Flight | No injuries | - |
| 17 Apr 1990 | Piper PA46 | Paso Robles, California, United States | Piper Aircraft Corp. | No injuries | - |
| 7 Oct 1990 | Cessna 182M | Bakersfield, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 1 Apr 1990 | Piper J-3 | Creston, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 11 Oct 1990 | Bell 47G4 | Merced, California, United States | John W. Myers | Serious injuries | - |