Beech BE77 accident near Riverside, California, May 8, 2001
On May 8, 2001 at about 11:50 pm local time, a Beech BE77, registered N3865D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Riverside, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's failure to maintain appropriate airspeed and to configure the airplane for climb-out.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 8, 2001 · about 11:50 pm local time
- Place
- Riverside, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech BE77
- Registration
- N3865D · no longer on the register · serial WA252
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the student pilot, he was practicing ground reference maneuvers over and around Lake Mathews. He said he was finishing up a few power on and power off stalls, when he thought he would practice a couple of emergency landings. He said he was familar with the procedure and had practiced them several times with no problems. The first attempt was sucessful. However, on the second attempt, he began his climb-out, flaps fully extended with full power. He was subjected to turbulence from the right, raising the right wing, at which time he lost some altitude. He regained control with aileron and rudder input. He realized that he was not climbing, instead he was losing altitude. He said that he never regained enough altitude to raise the flaps. He made a forced landing in rough terrain and thick brush, collided with a bush and nosed over.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 38 hours in all; 38 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 13 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,951 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,675 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Avco Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RAL Riverside Muni CA at 11:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 12 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.85 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from RAL, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.