Beech 76 accident near Petaluma, California, April 19, 2002
On April 19, 2002 at about 2:10 am local time, a Beech 76, registered N6636J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Petaluma, California (Petaluma Municipal airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor's decision to execute a simulated single engine go-around at an altitude insufficient to preclude the inadvertent ground contact of the airplane and the resultant loss of directional control. The flight instructor's delayed remedial action and inadequate supervision of the flight are also causal.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 19, 2002 · about 2:10 am local time
- Place
- Petaluma, California · Petaluma Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 76 · all 76s on the register
- Registration
- N6636J · no longer on the register · serial ME-255
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the instructional flight, the airplane collided with the ground and collapsed the landing gear during a practice single engine go-around. The flight instructor stated that he had the student do a practice single engine VOR approach to the airport in VFR conditions. The right engine was set to zero thrust for the procedure and the winds were straight down runway 29. They overflew the runway during the approach and circled to enter right traffic. During the approach he had decided to have the student do a single engine go-around. He stated that in hindsight he issued the go-around command at too low an altitude. The airspeed was above Vmc during the go-around; however, due to the low altitude at maneuver initiation, the airplane inadvertently touched down with full power on the left engine, causing the airplane to begin veering to the right. It became airborne again in a nose high, yawing, and right rolling attitude. At this point, he assumed the controls and reduced the power on the left engine. The airplane then settled to the ground in the nose high, yawed, and banked attitude with the right main gear off the pavement. The right main gear and nose gear collapsed. The instructor said that after thinking about the event, he believes that neither he nor the student were making aggressive enough control inputs to correct the situation in the early stages, and he may have waited too long before assuming control. He stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or system failures with the airplane.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,035 hours in all; 103 in this make and model; 196 in the last 90 days; 66 in the last 30 days; 943 as pilot in command; 664 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 7, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 318 hours in all; 18 in this make and model; 47 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 185 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 11, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,056 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 20, 2002; 35 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,900 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1G6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KOAK Oakland CA at 1:40 am
- Destination: O69 Petaluma CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29, 3,600 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 310° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 am from KSTS, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| 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.