Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Lake Berryessa, California 94558
Thursday, October 26, 1989 15:23 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PILOT AND PASSENGER PLANNED A 40 NM PLEASURE FLIGHT TO A NEIGHBORING AIRPORT FOR LUNCH. ON THE RETURN FLIGHT, THE PILOT FLEW LOW OVER LAKE BERRYESSA. WHILE CROSSING THE LAKE, THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH TWO TRANSMISSION WIRES THAT SPANNED THE LAKE, THEN CRASHED. THE LINES WERE ABOUT 125 AND 135 FT AGL AND WERE DEPICTED ON THE SECTIONAL AERONAUTICAL CHART.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

INADEQUATE VISUAL LOOKOUT BY THE PILOT AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALTITUDE. THE POWER LINES WAS A RELATED FACTOR.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 10/26/1989
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 1523
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City LAKE BERRYESSA
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 94558
Event Date Year 1989
Event Date Month 10
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Witness
Time of the weather observation 1455 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 130
Weather Observation Facility ID SUU
Elevation of weather observation facility 62
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 19
Time Zone of the weather observation PDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 25000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 2000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 25
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 19
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 9
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 240
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 8
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2304
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Oct 30 1989 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1330
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 42376
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 1:08PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N5034B
NTSB Number LAX90FA017
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BEECH
Aircraft Model F35
Aircraft Series Identifier F35
Aircraft Serial Number D-4301
Certified Max Gross Weight 2750
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection May 6 1989 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 142
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name AMARILLO BLANCO FLYING CLUB
Aircraft Owner Street Address 1927 COLLEEN DR.
Aircraft Owner City LOS ALTOS
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 94022
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name ROY NIEWALD
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code 045
Departure City VACAVILLE
Departure State CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code STS
Destination City SONAMA COUNTY
Destination State CA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Cruise
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length 0
Runway Width 0
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --