Beech V35A accident near Santa Monica, California, May 4, 1985
On May 4, 1985 at about 4:48 pm local time, a Beech V35A, registered N4RW, was destroyed in an accident near Santa Monica, California (Santa Monica Muni airport). It was a business 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).
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
- May 4, 1985 · about 4:48 pm local time
- Place
- Santa Monica, California · Santa Monica Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech V35A · all V35As on the register
- Registration
- N4RW · registry record · serial D8715
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER DEPTG & CLIMBING TO 4500', THE PLT & HIS PLT RATED PAX NOTED A FUEL ODOR & RETURNED TO THE ARPT TO LAND. BFR LNDG,THE PLT CALLED THE TOWER (TWR), BUT DIDN'T ADVISE TWR PSNL OF THE FUEL ODOR OR OF A PSBL PRBLM. AS THE ACFT WAS TURNING OFF THE RWY, FIRE & SMOKE ERUPTED IN THE ENG COMPARTMENT & SPREAD BEYOND THE FIREWALL TO THE COCKPIT. THE PLT & BOTH PAXDEPLANED. A TWR CONTROLLER SAW THE SMOKE & INITIATED FIRE/RESCUE RESPONSE, BUT DIDN'T USE PROPER TERMINOLOGY. FIRE DEPT PSNL WERE DISPATCHED APRX 1 MIN LATER. BY THE TIME THEY ARRIVED, THE ACFT WAS BADLY DAMAGED. MOST OF THE ENG'S FIRE DAMAGE WAS ON ITS LEFT SIDE. WHEN TESTED, SVRL FUEL LINES/COMPONENTS LEAKED, BUT THEY HAD FIRE DAMAGE & THE EXACT IN-FLTFUEL LEAK WAS NOT VERIFIED. FUEL STAIN/DISCOLORATION WAS NOTED WHERE THE AIR THROTTLE METERING UNIT LEAKED AT AN O-RING.THERE WAS A FUEL LEAK AT THE IDLE FUEL ADJUSTMENT SCREW, ALTHO IT WAS 'FROZEN' IN A FIXED PSN. ALSO, BEECH HAD RCMDD REPLACING THE FUEL LINES EVERY 5 YRS, BUT NO RECORD WAS FND OF THEIR REPLACEMENT DURING THE LAST 5 YRS.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,500 hours in all; 2,900 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 2,100 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,705 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 24, 1984; 82 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: SMO at 4:35 pm
- Destination: RIF Richfield UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 4,987 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,000 ft; not recorded at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:45 pm from SMO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.