Beech 58TC accident near Avalon, California, August 2, 2002
On August 2, 2002 at about 9:15 pm local time, a Beech 58TC, registered N2102L, was destroyed in an accident near Avalon, California (Catalina airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's misjudged distance and speed during the landing approach, which resulted in an overrun of the runway. Also causal was the pilot's failure to conduct a go-around during the approach, or abort the landing when an overrun became obvious.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 2, 2002 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- Avalon, California · Catalina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech 58TC · all 58TCs on the register
- Registration
- N2102L · no longer on the register · serial TK-22
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot landed the airplane long and fast, and overran the departure end of the 3,000-foot runway, where it hit a berm and descended 600 feet down a cliff and erupted into flames. The runway is situated on a mesa with a 3-foot berm at the airport boundary about 50 feet from the departure end of the runway. Reported weather at the time was 100-feet indefinite ceiling, with 3/4 statute mile visibility with haze. The airport operations supervisor described the weather as clear over the airport, but with a "donut style" overcast layer that circled the circumference of the airport. He also reported that one minute it was clear for pilot's to land, then the next minute the sky would become overcast again. Witnesses observed the airplane touchdown about 1,800 feet down the runway, and then saw blue smoke emanating from the brake area for an additional 300 feet before going out of view. One witness indicated that after the airplane struck the berm he heard the engines power up. Airport personnel and a relative radioed the pilot in the air to tell him to go around. When the airplane touched down, the witnesses again radioed the pilot to go around. The airplane and its engines sustained significant impact and fire damage. However, flight control continuity was established from the cockpit to the flight control surfaces. Examination of both propellers revealed signatures consistent with powered rotation. Teardowns of both engines were conducted with no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded their normal operation.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,290 hours in all; 25 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,120 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2002
- Maximum gross weight: 6,100 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-L (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: DVT Deer Valley AZ at 6:00 pm
- Destination: AVX Avalon CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 04, 3,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Wind: from 240° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 0.8 statute miles
- Sky: vv at 100 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 10:12 pm from AVX
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.