Beech E90 accident near Carlsbad, California, July 3, 2007
On July 3, 2007 at about 1:06 pm local time, a Beech E90, registered N47LC, was destroyed in an accident near Carlsbad, California (Carsbad 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 failure to maintain clearance from wires during an instrument takeoff attempt. Contributing to the accident were fog, reduced visibility, and the low ceiling.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 3, 2007 · about 1:06 pm local time
- Place
- Carlsbad, California · Carsbad
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech E90 · all E90s on the register
- Registration
- N47LC · registry record · serial LW-64
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airport is on a plateau, and the surrounding terrain is lower than the runway. After departing runway 24, the airplane collided with the top conductor of a telephone line an estimated 2,500 feet from the departure end of the runway. The airport elevation was 331 feet msl and the estimated elevation of the line was 245 feet. The debris path was along a magnetic bearing of 270 degrees. Both left and right engines displayed contact signatures to their internal components that were characteristic of the engines producing power at the time of impact. Fire consumed the cabin and cockpit precluding a meaningful examination of instruments and systems. An aviation routine weather report (METAR) issued about 13 minutes before the accident stated that the winds were calm, visibility was 1/4 mile in fog; and skies were 100 feet obscured. An examination of the pilot's logbook indicated that the pilot had a total instrument flight time of 268 hours as of June 21, 2007. In the 90 prior days he had flown 11 hours in actual instrument conditions and logged 20 instrument approaches.
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: 1,177 hours in all; 284 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 1,121 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 8, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
Other crew
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,032 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, August 15, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 10,100 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT-6A-28 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT-6A-28 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Southwest Consulting Group, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: CRQ Carlsbad CA at 1:06 pm
- Destination: TUS Tucson AZ
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 24, 4,897 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Visibility: 0.2 statute miles
- Sky: vv at 100 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from KCRQ, 1 miles away
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.