Beech D55 accident near Napa, California, April 3, 1982
On April 3, 1982 at about 7:22 pm local time, a Beech D55, registered N792BR, was destroyed in an accident near Napa, California (Napa County airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 3, 1982 · about 7:22 pm local time
- Place
- Napa, California · Napa County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech D55 · all D55s on the register
- Registration
- N792BR · no longer on the register · serial TE697
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT HE ROTATED THE AIRCRAFT AT ABOUT 90 KNOTS DURING TAKEOFF AND AT ABOUT 30 FEET AGL THE ENGINE LOST POWER. IT STARTED AGAIN BRIEFLY BUT THEN STOPPED AND AN EMERGENCY LANDING WAS MADE APPROXIMATELY 2000 FEET FROM THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 18R IN WET GRASS. A RUN-UP OF THE RIGHT ENGINE REVEALED A DRIPPING FUEL LEAK AT THE RIGHT END OF THE FUEL CONTROL SHAFT. THE LEVER WAS LOOSE AND CONTAINED NO BUSHING OR COTTER PIN. FUEL PRESSURE AT 2600 RPM WAS 12.5 LBS WITH A 1 1/2 INCH SOLID STREAM OF FUEL AT THE POINT OF THE LEAK. THE LEFT ENGINE SHOWED A FUEL PRESSURE OF 24 LBS AT 2600 RPM. AN ANNUAL/100 HOUR INSPECTION HAD BEEN COMPLETED APPROXIMATELY 9 HOURS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,853 hours in all; 235 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 1,793 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,704 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,300 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: APC Napa CA at 11:20 am
- Destination: Redding CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 5,932 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:23 am from APC
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.