Beech B19 incident near Van Nuys, California, August 23, 1985
On August 23, 1985 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Beech B19, registered N9718L, suffered minor damage in an incident near Van Nuys, California (Van Nuys airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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 incident. 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
- August 23, 1985 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Van Nuys, California · Van Nuys · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech B19 · all B19s on the register
- Registration
- N9718L · registry record · serial MB511
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER DEPARTURE, AT ABOUT 800 FEET, THE RIGHT AIRLERON BECAME DISCONNECTED. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO MAKE A LEFT TURN, FLY A LEFT HAND TRAFFIC PATTERN AND LAND SUCCESSFULLY. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT THE RIGHT INBOARD AILERON CONTROL PUSH ROD HAD SHEARED AT THE FORWARD END; THE BEARING HAD SEIZED. A LACK OF LUBRICATION WAS EVIDENT.
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
- Flight time: 549 hours in all; 466 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 520 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,025 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 13, 1985
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VNY at 3:25 pm
- Destination: BFL Bakersfield CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16R, 8,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.