Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Woodfords, California 96120
Saturday, March 15, 1986 13:40 PST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE WX DETERIORATED WHILE THE ACFT WAS CRUISING IN IMC AT 17,000 FT. MODERATE TURBULENCE & ICING CONDITIONS IN THE LAYERED CLOUDS WERE REPORTED BY OTHER NEARBY FLYING ACFT. THE PLT INFORMED ARTCC THAT HE 'LOST THE AUTOPILOT,' & THE ACFT'S COURSE BEGAN CHANGING RADICALLY. A GROUND BASED WITNESS DESCRIBED THE APPROACHING ACFT'S NOISE AS BEING SIMILAR TO THE 'SCREAMING' PRODUCED BY AN ACFT IN A POWER DIVE. THE SURFACE VISIBILITY WAS RESTRICTED BY SNOW TO BETWEEN 200 FT - 1/4 MI. CONTROL OF THE ACFT WAS LOST AND AN INFLIGHT BREAKUP OCCURRED. THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND DISTRIBUTED OVER A 1/8 BY 3/4 MILE AREA. THE PRIMARY AIRFRAME FAILURE OCCURRED ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE WING SPAR CARRY THROUGH STRUCTURE. THE STRUCTURE BROKE IN AN UPWARD (POSITIVE) DIRECTION. NO EVIDENCE FOR THE REPORTED LOSS OF THE AUTOPILOT OR WITH THE RELATED FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM WAS FOUND. THE ACFT WAS NEITHER CERTIFICATED NOT EQUIPPED FOR FLIGHT INTO ICING CONDITIONS.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 3/15/1986
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1340
Event Time Zone Pacific Standard Time
Event City WOODFORDS
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 96120
Event Date Year 1986
Event Date Month 3
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 Partial - limited by pilot
Investigator's weather source Witness
Time of the weather observation 1345 Pacific Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 320
Weather Observation Facility ID TVL
Elevation of weather observation facility 6264
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 9
Time Zone of the weather observation PST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 800
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Obscured
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 0
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) -2
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -3
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 180
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Light
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 3
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 3
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2689
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Mar 15 1986 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1450
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 34223
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 3:34PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N333AU
NTSB Number LAX86FA140
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BEECH
Aircraft Model A36TC
Aircraft Series Identifier A36TC
Aircraft Serial Number EA-198
Certified Max Gross Weight 3650
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 6
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Oct 21 1985 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 21
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name AURICH, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 191 BROWNING AVE.
Aircraft Owner City VENTURA
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 93003
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
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) Business
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code BFI
Departure City SEATTLE
Departure State WA
Departure Country
Departure Time 952
Departure Time Zone PST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code OXR
Destination City OXNARD
Destination State CA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:36AM
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 --