Beech A36TC accident near Woodfords, California, March 15, 1986
On March 15, 1986 at about 9:40 pm local time, a Beech A36TC, registered N333AU, was destroyed in an accident near Woodfords, California. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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
- March 15, 1986 · about 9:40 pm local time
- Place
- Woodfords, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech A36TC · all A36TCs on the register
- Registration
- N333AU · no longer on the register · serial EA-198
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE WX DETERIORATED WHILE THE ACFT WAS CRUISING IN IMC AT 17,000 FT. MODERATE TURBULENCE & ICING CONDITIONS IN THE LAYERED CLOUDS WERE REPORTED BY OTHER NEARBY FLYING ACFT. THE PLT INFORMED ARTCC THAT HE 'LOST THE AUTOPILOT,' & THE ACFT'S COURSE BEGAN CHANGING RADICALLY. A GROUND BASED WITNESS DESCRIBED THE APPROACHING ACFT'S NOISE AS BEING SIMILAR TO THE 'SCREAMING' PRODUCED BY AN ACFT IN A POWER DIVE. THE SURFACE VISIBILITY WAS RESTRICTED BY SNOW TO BETWEEN 200 FT - 1/4 MI. CONTROL OF THE ACFT WAS LOST AND AN INFLIGHT BREAKUP OCCURRED. THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND DISTRIBUTED OVER A 1/8 BY 3/4 MILE AREA. THE PRIMARY AIRFRAME FAILURE OCCURRED ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE WING SPAR CARRY THROUGH STRUCTURE. THE STRUCTURE BROKE IN AN UPWARD (POSITIVE) DIRECTION. NO EVIDENCE FOR THE REPORTED LOSS OF THE AUTOPILOT OR WITH THE RELATED FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM WAS FOUND. THE ACFT WAS NEITHER CERTIFICATED NOT EQUIPPED FOR FLIGHT INTO ICING CONDITIONS.
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; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,310 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 21, 1985; 21 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,650 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-UB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BFI Seattle WA at 5:52 pm
- Destination: OXR Oxnard CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 10 knots
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:45 pm from TVL, 9 miles away
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.