Beech C24R accident near Riverside, California, January 16, 1985
On January 16, 1985 at about 3:50 pm local time, a Beech C24R, registered N6020P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Riverside, California (Riverside airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 4 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
- January 16, 1985 · about 3:50 pm local time
- Place
- Riverside, California · Riverside · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech C24R · all C24Rs on the register
- Registration
- N6020P · registry record · serial MC653
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AN ABORTED TAKEOFF WAS ATTEMPTED BY THE PLT WHEN THE ACFT FAILED TO SUSTAIN FLIGHT. HE LANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY WITH ONE WHEEL IN THE GRASS AND REALIZED TOO LATE THAT NORMAL BRAKING WAS NOT SUFFICIENT TO STOP THE LANDING ROLL BEFORE THE ACFT WENT OVER AN EMBANKMENT AND STRUCK A HIDDEN CONCRETE PIPE. A WINDSHIFT HAD JUST OCCURRED & THERE WERE REPORTS OF TURBULENCE & WINDSHEAR AROUND THE ARPT. THE PLT NOTED A QUARTERING TAILWIND PARTWAY DOWN THE RWY. AN EARLIER TAKEOFF HAD ALSO BEEN ABORTED BY THE PLT, WHO RETURNED TO THE FBO & REQUESTED AN ACFT WITH MORE PWR. WHEN THE REQUEST WAS NOT HONORED HE ACCEPTED A SECOND ACFT OF THE SAME TYPE, WHICH HAD EARLIER FAILED TO SUSTAIN FLIGHT.
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, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,480 hours in all; 160 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 2,300 as pilot in command; 1,400 on instruments
- Medical certificate: None (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,652 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 31, 1984; 48 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,750 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RAL Riverside CA at 3:50 pm
- Destination: SMX Santa Maria CA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 34, 2,850 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 16 knots
- Visibility: 65 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:45 pm from RAL
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.
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.