Beech V35B accident near Copperopolis, California, March 7, 1983
On March 7, 1983 at about 2:15 am local time, a Beech V35B, registered N4755M, was destroyed in an accident near Copperopolis, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. 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
- March 7, 1983 · about 2:15 am local time
- Place
- Copperopolis, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech V35B · all V35Bs on the register
- Registration
- N4755M · no longer on the register · serial D10129
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED TAKING OFF TO THE SOUTH FROM THE PLT'S PRIVATE STRIP. THE ACFT MADE A 180 DEG TURN & FLEW OVER THEPLT'S RESIDENCE NEAR THE RUNWAY. A MOMENTARY INCREASE IN ENG RPM WAS HEARD. THE ACFT THEN MADE ANOTHER 180 DEG TURN & FLEW DOWN THE RUNWAY AT ABOUT 90-100 FT. SHORTLY AFTER THIS A CRASH WAS HEARD. THE ACFT IMPACTED THE GROUND AT A VERY PRONOUNCED NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. THE PLT'S BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVEL WAS 0.15%.
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
- Flight time: 1,700 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 404 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 8, 1982; 9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-BA (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.