Beechcraft 65 N713JB

Summary

On 30 June 1991 at about 16:11 local time, a Beechcraft 65 registered N713JB was involved in an accident near Pioneer, California, United States. 6 people were on board and 6 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

30 June 1991 at 16:11

Classification

Accident

Location

Pioneer, California, United States

Coordinates

38.5196, -120.3809

Aircraft

Beechcraft 65

Registration

N713JB

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Modesto → S Lake Tahoe

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX91FA282

6 people died.

IMPROPER EMERGENCY PROCEDURES BY THE PILOT, WHEN HE INADVERTENTLY SHUT DOWN THE LEFT ENGINE AFTER ENCOUNTERING A PARTIAL LOSS OF POWER IN THE RIGHT ENGINE. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: IMPROPER INSTALLATION OF THE RIGHT ENGINE'S #6 EXHAUST VALVE SEAT BY OTHER MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL, FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE #6 EXHAUST VALVE, AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE AIRCRAFT.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

A BEECH 65 COLLIDED WITH TREES IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN AFTER AN INFLT LOSS OF CONTROL. A PILOT OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE START A TURN TO THE RIGHT, ROLL RIGHT AND CONTINUED UNTIL INVERTED AND ENTER INTO A SPIN. THE ACFT WAS IN A STEEP NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE WHEN IT BEGAN ITS PULL; OUT. THE ENGINES WERE HEARD BY A GROUND WITNESS WHO INITIALLY MISTOOK THEM FOR AN APPROACH MOTORCYCLE. THE PILOT INITIALLY FLEW THE ACFT 45 DAYS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT AND LOGGED 3.5 DUAL INSTRUCTION HOURS. THERE WAS NO RECORD IN THE PILOT'S LOGBOOK OF ANY ADDITIONAL FLT TRNG SINCE THE INITIAL FLT. THE PLT SATISFACTORILY COMPLETED A BFR IN A CESSNA 150 FOUR DAYS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE DSCLSD THE RT ENG HAD BROKEN EXHAUST VALVE, BUT THE LEFT PROP WAS FEATHERED. THERE WERE NO PREEXISTING MECH MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES FOUND WITH THE LEFT ENG.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.