Beechcraft A23 N1461L

Summary

On 20 February 1988 at about 23:14 local time, a Beechcraft A23 registered N1461L was involved in an accident near Big Bear City, California, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

20 February 1988 at 23:14

Classification

Accident

Location

Big Bear City, California, United States

Coordinates

34.2591, -116.8391

Aircraft

Beechcraft A23

Registration

N1461L

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Big Bear City → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX88FA114

2 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 PASSENGER TOLD FRIENDS THAT THE PILOT WAS GOING TO PERFORM SOME AEROBATIC MANEUVERS NEAR THE LODGE WHERE THEY WERE STAYING. THE OTHER RESIDENTS IN THE LODGE REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE FLEW VERY LOW OVER THE HOUSE AND PROCEEDED TOWARDS THE EAST. AFTER REACHING THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE VALLEY, THE PILOT EXECUTED A 180 DEG RIGHT TURN TOWARDS THE LODGE. WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS ABOUT 1000 YARDS EAST OF THE LODGE, THE PILOT PULLED THE AIRPLANE INTO A NEAR VERTICAL CLIMBING ATTITUDE AND ENTERED INTO WHAT WAS DESCRIBED BY THE WITNESSES AS A HAMMERHEAD STALL TYPE MANEUVER. THE AIRPLANE THEN PITCHED DNWARD. BEFORE REACHING TREES, IT APPEARED THE NOSE WAS COMING UP BUT THE AIRPLANE DISAPPEARED BEHIND THE TREELINE. SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE WITNESSES HEARD A MUFFLED IMPACT SOUND AND THEN SAW A FIREBALL EMANATING FROM BEHIND THE TREELINE. THE INVESTIGATION DSCLD NO EVIDENCE OF ANY AIRPLANE PREIMPACT MALFUNCTIONS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.