Cessna 335 accident near Yuba City, California, December 11, 1985
On December 11, 1985 at about 11:05 pm local time, a Cessna 335, registered N2708X, was destroyed in an accident near Yuba City, California (Sutter CO airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. 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
- December 11, 1985 · about 11:05 pm local time
- Place
- Yuba City, California · Sutter CO · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 335 · all 335s on the register
- Registration
- N2708X · no longer on the register · serial 335-0034
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
UPON COMPLETING A 35 MIN SIGHT-SEEING FLIGHT THE PLT ENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN & PREPARED FOR LANDING. WHILE DESCENDING, BOTH ENGINES LOST ALL POWER. THE PLT STATED THAT HE REPOSITIONED THE FUEL SELECTORS TO THE AUX TANKS, POWER WAS RESTORED TO THE LEFT ENGINE, & THE ACFT 'STARTED A VMC ROLL TO THE RIGHT.' AT THE TIME THE ACFT WAS 300 FT AGL. UNABLE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL, THE PLT REDUCED PWR & THE ACFT DESCENDED INTO TERRAIN COMING TO REST 500 YDS FROM THE ARPT. THE PLT ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE LOSS OF ENG POWER RUSULTED FROM HIS IMPROPER FUEL MANAGEMENT.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all; 6,000 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 10,000 as pilot in command; 700 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,148 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,935 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 052 Yuba City CA at 10:30 pm
- Destination: 052 Yuba City CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 3,040 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 22 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.