Beech B36 accident near Panoche, CA
On March 15, 2012, a Beech B36 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Panoche, CA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- March 15, 2012
- Place
- Panoche, CA
- Aircraft
- Beech B36 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 36.528°N, 120.843°W
- NTSB ID
- 20120317X91318
Official records · WPR12FA139
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- Pilot Flight and ATC Information: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
- ATC Radar Track (kml file): Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On March 14, 2012, about 1955 Pacific daylight time (PDT), a Beech B36TC, N364AB, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain in the Diablo Mountain range near Panoche, California, during a delivery flight from Gloucester, England, to San Jose, California. The airplane was recently purchased and operated by Lafferty Aircraft Sales (LAS), and was operated by American King Air Services (AKAS). The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The accident leg of the flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, and in accordance with visual flight rules (VFR). Darkness and possible instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and no Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) flight plan was filed for the flight. According to the pilot-rated passenger who flew with him for a portion of the trip, the pilot took a commercial flight from South Carolina to Florida on March 7, 2012, and the two of them then flew commercially to London, England, that evening. They arrived in London on March 8, and began the delivery flight the next day. They landed in Bangor, Maine, on March 13, where the passenger separated and returned to Florida via commercial airline service. The pilot continued with the delivery flight, and made an overnight stop in Kentucky that evening. The pilot departed Kentucky about 0900 local time on March 14, made one fuel stop in Oklahoma, and a second in Arizona. During the Arizona fuel stop, the pilot informed his wife that his planned overnight stop was at Hollister Municipal Airport (CVH), Hollister, California, and t
Probable cause
The pilot’s lack of situational awareness regarding the surrounding terrain while descending during dark night conditions, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.
More accidents in CA
- Douglas MD-83, Feb 1, 2000
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-32, Aug 31, 1986
- British Aerospace BAE-146-200, Dec 8, 1987
- Beech C-99, Aug 24, 1984
- Sikorsky S-61N, Aug 6, 2008
Browse: California · Beech aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
