Palo Alto Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

East Palo Alto, California 94303
Saturday, December 27, 1986 6:32 PST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PILOT AND 5 PASSENGERS DEPARTED FOR A PLANNED VACATION IN MEXICO IN DARK NIGHT CONDITIONS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVEDTO DEPART FROM RUNWAY 30, TURN FROM THE CROSSWIND TO THE DOWNWIND LEG AND THE AIRCRAFT 'LOST ALTITUDE RAPIDLY' AND IMPACTED IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY. A PILOT WHO IS FAMILIAR WITH THE PALO ALTO AIRPORT STATED THAT WHEN MAKING A RIGHT CROSSWIND FROM RUNWAY 30 'THE BAY WATERS AND THE HORIZON CAN BLEND AS ONE.' THE PILOT MUST 'REFERENCE FLIGHT INSTRUMENTSFOR A SHORT PERIOD. IT CAN CATCH A PILOT BY SURPRISE.' THE PILOT RECEIVED HIS INSTRUMENT RATING IN 1975. NO RECORD OF INSTRUMENT CURRENCY COULD BE FOUND.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 12/27/1986
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 632
Event Time Zone Pacific Standard Time
Event City EAST PALO ALTO
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 94303
Event Date Year 1986
Event Date Month 12
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport PALO ALTO
Event Location Nearest Airport ID PAO
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 5
Weather Briefing Completeness Partial - limited by pilot
Investigator's weather source Witness
Time of the weather observation 653 Pacific Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 148
Weather Observation Facility ID PAO
Elevation of weather observation facility 5
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 1
Time Zone of the weather observation PST
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 12000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Partial Obscuration
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 5
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 12
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 4
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Variable
Wind Speed (knots) 0
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 6
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 6
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2763
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Dec 27 1986 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 900
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 35791
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 5:30PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N111FC
NTSB Number LAX87FA069
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed VFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BEECH
Aircraft Model E-55
Aircraft Series Identifier E-55
Aircraft Serial Number TE-783
Certified Max Gross Weight 5300
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 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name STEVEN M. JACOBS
Aircraft Owner Street Address 745 EMERSON STREET
Aircraft Owner City PALO ALTO
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 94301
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 525 UNIVERSITY AVE.
Operator City PALO ALTO
Operator State CA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 94301
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 Yes
Departure Airport Code PAO
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 631
Departure Time Zone PST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code TIJ
Destination City TIJUANA
Destination State MX
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 30
Runway Length 2500
Runway Width 65
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --