Beech H35 accident near Antioch, California, May 31, 1983
On May 31, 1983 at about 1:50 am local time, a Beech H35, registered N391B, was destroyed in an accident near Antioch, California (Antioch airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 31, 1983 · about 1:50 am local time
- Place
- Antioch, California · Antioch · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech H35 · all H35s on the register
- Registration
- N391B · registry record · serial D5218
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE DURING FLT IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN TO LAND. WITNESSES DESCRIBED THE PATTERN AS BEING CLOSE IN, SLOW AND LOW COMPARED TO NORMAL TRAFFIC. THE ATTITUDE OF THE ACFT WAS DESCRIBED AS NOSE HIGH. AS THE ACFT TURNED TO FINAL APPROACH THE LEFT WING DROPPED AND THE ACFT WENT INTO A STEEP NOSE DOWN DESCENT. THE ACFT STRUCK THE GROUND AT A NOSE LOW ANGLE OF 27 DEGREES AND CAME TO REST. NO GROUND SCARS WERE FOUND BEYOND THE INITIALPOINT OF CONTACT. THE LOWER FUSELAGE DUG ABOUT 16 INCHES INTO THE GROUND. NO PROBLEMS WERE FOUND IN THE EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT. THE PLTS TRAINING WAS UNUSUAL. HIS FIRST 31 HOURS OF 'DUAL' ARE UNSIGNED AND A WITNESS SAID THE INSTRUCTION WAS GIVEN BY A PRIVATE PLT. THE REMAINDER OF HIS 46 HOURS OF INSTRUCTION CAME FROM 2 DIFFERENT INSTRUCTOR, ABOUT 11 HOURS FROM ONE AND ABOUT 4 HOURS FROM THE OTHER.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 138 hours in all; 138 in this make and model; 34 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days; 100 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,310 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 1982; 202 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,125 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental O-470-G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: APC Napa CA at 1:28 am
- Destination: 012 Antioch CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:45 am from CCR, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX83FA256.