Beech 56TC accident near San Diego, California, November 12, 1983
On November 12, 1983 at about 6:38 am local time, a Beech 56TC, registered N911SC, was destroyed in an accident near San Diego, California (Montgomery Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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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
- November 12, 1983 · about 6:38 am local time
- Place
- San Diego, California · Montgomery Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech 56TC · all 56TCs on the register
- Registration
- N911SC · registry record · serial TG50
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING ARRIVAL, THE PLT WAS CLEARED FOR AN ILS APCH TO RWY 28R. ABOUT 3 MIN LATER, HE COMMENCED A MISSED APCH & REQUESTED ANOTHER ILS TO RWY 28. AT THAT TIME, THE ATC CONTROLLER ADVISED THE PLT THAT THE 5 PRECEDING ACFT HAD MADE ILS APCHS & ALL HAD EXECUTED MISSED APPROACHES WITHOUT OBTAINING VISUAL CONTACT WITH EITHER THE APCH OR RWY LIGHTS. HOWEVER, THE PLT ELECTED TO MAKE ANOTHER APCH. DURING THE 2ND APCH, THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH HIGH TENSION POWER LINES LOCATED ABOUT 10,400 FT FROM THE APCH END OF RWY 28 AT APRX 108 FT AGL. WITNESSES REPORTED A FLASH OF LIGHT & A FIREBALL WERE NOTED AS THE ACFT STRUCK THE POWER LINES. THE ACFT THEN IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A VACANT FIELD & SLID ABOUT 400 FT ACROSS THE FIELD & A 4 LANE, DIVIDED STREET BEFORE KNOCKING DOWN A FENCE & COMING TO REST IN A RESIDENTIAL BACKYARD & BURNING. THE 2 FRONT SEAT PASSENGERS EGRESSED FROM THE ACFT, BUT DIED LATER FROM BURNS. WITNESSES SAID THE ENGS SOUNDED NORMAL UNTIL IMPACT. ANNUAL INSP OF ACFT & VOR RECEIVER CHK OVERDUE.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- 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: 4,000 hours in all; 550 in this make and model; 3,800 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,200 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 20, 1982; 172 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,990 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-541-E1B4 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire in flight and on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: LAX Los Angeles CA at 5:47 am
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 28R, 3,400 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 300 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:45 am from MYF, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 LAX84FA058.