Beech K35 accident near San Diego, California, November 6, 1986
On November 6, 1986 at about 3:30 am local time, a Beech K35, registered N399WM, was destroyed in an accident near San Diego, California (Montgomery airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. 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
- November 6, 1986 · about 3:30 am local time
- Place
- San Diego, California · Montgomery · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech K35 · all K35s on the register
- Registration
- N399WM · registry record · serial D5939
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AT THE END OF A NIGHT CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED AN INSTRUMENT APPROACH TO THE MONTGOMERY AIRPORT AFTER BEING ADVISED THE WEATHER WAS BELOW BASIC VFR MINIMUMS. HE WAS CLEARED FOR AN ILS APPROACH AND REPORTED THAT HE HAD THE RUNWAY IN SIGHT AT ABOUT 400 FT; HOWEVER, HE LOST SIGHT OF THE RUNWAY DUE TO FOG AS HE CONTINUED. JUST BEFORE THE PILOT INITIATED A MISSED APPROACH, HE WAS ADVISED THAT THE VISIBILITY HAD DROPPED TO 1/16 MILE. DURING THE MISSED APPROACH, THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH THE RUNWAY WHILE IT WAS STILL DESCENDING.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all; 5,500 in this make and model; 79 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 10,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,056 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 1986; 43 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IGM Kingman AZ at 2:00 am
- Destination: MYF
- Flight plan: VFR then IFR
- Runway 28R, 3,400 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 310° at 5 knots
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:22 am from MYF
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.