Beech C35 accident near Etiwanda, California, March 29, 1986
On March 29, 1986 at about 4:00 am local time, a Beech C35, registered N717D, was destroyed in an accident near Etiwanda, California (Cable airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 29, 1986 · about 4:00 am local time
- Place
- Etiwanda, California · Cable · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech C35 · all C35s on the register
- Registration
- N717D · registry record · serial D2988
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLT WAS RECEIVING RADAR ADVISORIES & WAS ROUTINE UNTIL THE ACFT WAS APRX 15 MI EAST OF THE DESTINATION ARPT. AFTER RADAR SVC WAS TERMINATED, THE ACFT SUBSEQUENTLY TURNED TOWARD THE NORTHWEST & FLEW INTO RISING TERRAIN AT AN ELEVATION OF ABOUT 3000 FEET. THE ACFT WAS REPORTED MISSING, BUT WAS NOT FOUND UNTIL 4/1/86. THE CRASH SITE WAS LOCATED ABOUT 10 MI NORTHEAST OF THE ARPT. DARKNESS & MARGINAL WX EXISTED AT THE CRASH SITE AT THE TIME OF THE ACDNT. APRX 18 MI SOUTH AT ONTARIO, CA, THE 1945 WX WAS, IN PART: SKY PARTIALLY OBSCURED, 1300 BROKEN, 5000 OVERCAST, VISIBILITY 4 MI WITH HAZE, WIND FROM 270 DEG AT 10 KTS. THE ELEVATION AT ONTARIO WAS 952 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
What happened, in order
- IN FLIGHT ENCOUNTER WITH WEATHER during descent
- IN FLIGHT COLLISION WITH TERRAIN/WATER during descent
Pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land, none, APLN, none
- Flight time: 10,100 hours in all
- Medical certificate: class 2
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental E-225-8 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: LHU Lae Havasu City AZ at 2:00 am
- Destination: CCB Upland CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 270° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 63°C, dew point 57°C
- Altimeter: 30 inHg
- Observation at 3:45 am from ONT, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX86FA160.