Loss of Control in Flight · NTSB LAX08FA152
BEECH V35B — Fall River Mills, CA
| Date | May 23, 2008 |
| Location | Fall River Mills, CA |
| Aircraft | BEECH V35B |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Uncontrolled descent Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) |
| Pilot age | 61 |
| Pilot total time | 3,150 hrs · High time |
| Time in type | Unknown |
| Fatalities | 4 |
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering for landing, resulting in an aerodynamic stall.
NTSB findings
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Airspeed-Not attained/maintained - C
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
What happened
Witnesses reported that the airplane flew low over the local area golf course before banking to the right to land at the airport. The landing gear and flaps were down during the low pass. The witnesses then observed the airplane bank to the right, depart controlled flight, and dive to the ground in a nose-down attitude. The wreckage was confined to a small area in a grove of trees. Airframe and engine examinations revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.