Piper PA-32-300 accident near Big Bear, California, February 4, 1985
On February 4, 1985 at about 1:20 am local time, a Piper PA-32-300, registered N30069, was substantially damaged in an accident near Big Bear, California (Big Bear City airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
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
- February 4, 1985 · about 1:20 am local time
- Place
- Big Bear, California · Big Bear City · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-300 · all PA-32-300s on the register
- Registration
- N30069 · registry record · serial PA-32-300
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER SPENDING THE DAY SKIING, THE PLT & PASSENGERS PLANNED TO DEPART ON A RETURN FLT TO SAN DIEGO. THE WIND WAS FROM 210 TO 220 DEG AT ABOUT 10 MPH. THE PLT ELECTED TO TAKEOFF ON RWY 7 SINCE LOW CLOUDS WERE APPROACHING FROM THE WEST & THE VISIBILITY WAS NEAR ZERO IN THAT DIRECTION. THE VISIBILITY TO THE EAST WAS APRX 2 MI. REPORTEDLY, THE ACFT TRAVELED ABOUT 2500 FT & HAD ACCELERATED TO 55 MPH WHEN IT WAS ROTATED FOR TAKEOFF. AT ABOUT THAT TIME, IT VEERED LEFT, OVERRAN THE EDGE OF THE RWY & COLLIDED WITH A SNOW BANK. NO PRE-ACCIDENT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS REPORTED. THE ARPT ELEV WAS 6750 FT.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,154 hours in all; 45 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 935 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,020 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 27, 1984; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1G5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Volar CORP.
The flight
- Destination: SEE San Diego CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 7, 5,850 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 210° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 21°F (-6°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.