Catalina Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Avalon, California 90704
Monday, January 30, 1984 13:30 PST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE ACFT DEPARTED ON A SALES DEMO FLT TO MONTEREY, CA WITH POTENTIAL BUYERS ABOARD. EN ROUTE, THE DESTINATION WAS CHANGED TO AVALON, CA. UNICOM ADVISED THE CREW OF THE WIND DIRECTION & SPEED ON DOWNWIND. WITNESSES REPORTED THE ACFT WAS SLIGHTLY HI ON FINAL, BUT SAID THE PLT CORRECTED THE ANGLE OF DESCENT. THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN APRX 500' DOWN THE RWY, WHICH WAS CROWNED (SLOPED UPWARD FOR APRX THE 1ST 2000', THEN LEVELED OFF). THE CREW COULD NOT SEE THE END OF THE RWY AT TOUCHDOWN. THE THRUST REVERSERS WERE DEPLOYED APRX 1000' AFTER TOUCHDOWN. WITNESSES HEARD THE ENG SOUND INCREASE,THEN DECREASE, THEN INCREASE AGAIN AS THE ACFT WENT OFF THE RWY & OVER A 90' BLUFF. FIRE ERUPTED IMMEDIATELY. WITHIN 3 MIN, ARPT PSNL ARRIVED WITH FIREFIGHTING EQUIP, BUT THEY WERE NOT TRAINED AS FIREFIGHTERS & DID NOT TRY TO STOP THE FIREFOR FEAR OF AN EXPLOSION. NO EVIDENCE OF A MECHANICAL FAILURE/MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND. FOUND L FLAP EXTENDED, L SPOILER RETRACTED & LOCKED, TIRE MARKS ON RWY. ESTIMATED GROSS WT: 11,500 LBS. COMPUTED LANDING DIST OVER A 50' OBSTCL: 3100'.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 1/30/1984
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 1330
Event Time Zone Pacific Standard Time
Event City AVALON
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 90704
Event Date Year 1984
Event Date Month 1
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport CATALINA
Event Location Nearest Airport ID AVX
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 1602
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Witness
Time of the weather observation 1325 Pacific Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID AVX
Elevation of weather observation facility 1602
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation PST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 20000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 100
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 22
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -18
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 110
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 4
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 0
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) 2616
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 28028
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:15AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N44GA
NTSB Number DCA84AA016
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 Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Learjet
Aircraft Model 24
Aircraft Series Identifier 24
Aircraft Serial Number 129
Certified Max Gross Weight 13000
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 7
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown
Date of Last Inspection Aug 8 1900 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 66
Airframe Hours 3306
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name GEE BEE AERO, INC
Aircraft Owner Street Address
Aircraft Owner City
Aircraft Owner State
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name AVIATION BUSINESS FLIGHTS
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 2502 JOHN MONTGOMERY BLVD
Operator City SAN JOSE
Operator State CA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 95148
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
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 Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code STS
Departure City SANTA ROSA
Departure State CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code AVX
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 22
Runway Length 3240
Runway Width 100
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --