Cessna 550 accident near Santa Ana, California, September 19, 1984
On September 19, 1984 at about 9:20 pm local time, a Cessna 550, registered N88MJ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Santa Ana, California (John Wayne Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. 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
- September 19, 1984 · about 9:20 pm local time
- Place
- Santa Ana, California · John Wayne Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 550 · all 550s on the register
- Registration
- N88MJ · registry record · serial 550-0089
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER COMPLETING A DUAL INSTRUCTIONAL FLT IN 91 TO 103 DEG WX, THE ACFT LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. THE PIC FAILED TO FOLLOW THE REQUIRED PROCEDURE IN THE FLIGHT MANUAL OF TURNING OFF THE ANTI-SKID SWITCH AFTER CLEARING THE RWY. RATHER, HE USED THE OUTDATED PROCEDURE IN AN OLD CHECKLIST CARD & LEFT THE ANTI-SKID SWITCH ON. AS THE PIC PARKED THE ACFT THE ANTI-SKID CONTROL UNIT MALFUNCTIONED & RELEASED BRAKE PRESSURE. BY THE TIME THE PIC REGAINED CONTROL BY ACTIVATING THE EMERGENCY PNEUMATIC BRAKE SYSTEM, THE ACFT HAD COLLIDED WITH A CESSNA 500 & AN AERO COMMANDER 500S. TWO YEARS EARLIER A SERVICE LETTER HAD BEEN ISSUED STATING THAT THE ANTI-SKID CONTROL UNIT COULD MALFUNCTION AT TEMPS OVER 100 DEG F. THE OPERATOR HAD FAILED TO COMPLY WITH THE SL & HAD NOT SUBMITTED THE UNIT FOR MODIFICATION. WITHIN THE PAST MONTH THE PIC & THE COMPANY CHIEF PLT HAD OBTAINED TYPE RATINGS IN THE ACFT FROM A DESIGNATED PLT EXAMINER.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,720 hours in all; 72 in this make and model; 112 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 2,560 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,113 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 22, 1984; 31 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 13,500 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT15D-4 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ONT Ontario CA at 9:10 pm
- Destination: SNA Santa Ana CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 19R, 5,700 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:45 pm from SNA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| 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.
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 LAX84FA487.