Beech 35-B33 accident near Ripon, California, January 10, 1989
On January 10, 1989 at about 6:12 pm local time, a Beech 35-B33, registered N8974M, was destroyed in an accident near Ripon, 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
CONTINUED FLIGHT BY THE PILOT INTO KNOWN ICING CONDITIONS AND STRUCTURAL (WING) ICING, WHICH SUBSEQUENTLY RESULTED IN AN UNCONTROLLED STALL. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE ICING CONDITION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 10, 1989 · about 6:12 pm local time
- Place
- Ripon, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech 35-B33 · all 35-B33s on the register
- Registration
- N8974M · registry record · serial CD-728
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
BEFORE TAKEOFF, THE PLT RCVD A WX BRIEFING FOR THE PROPOSED ROUTE OF FLT. THIS INCLUDED INFO ABOUT THE FREEZING LVL (FORECAST AT 5000 FT) & A PRECAUTION FOR MODERATE ICING CONDS. THE BRIEFING DID NOT INCLUDE SIGMET LIMA 1 INFO ABOUT MODERATE TO SEVERE ICING CONDS, BUT THE SIGMENT WAS NOT VALID FOR THE PLT'S PROPOSED ROUTE OF FLT. HOWEVER, THE PLT RCVD CLNC FOR AN AMENDED ROUTE OF FLT, WHICH WENT THRU THE EDGE OF AN AREA DEFINED BY SIGMET LIMA 1. SHORTLY AFTER LEVELING AT 11,000', THE PLT RPRTD THE ACFT WAS IN ICING CONDS & WOULD NOT MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. AS THE ARTCC CONTROLLER WAS COORDINATING WITH TRACON FOR A LOWER ALTITUDE, THE PLT RPRTD THE ACFT WAS STALLING. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, IT CRASHED IN A RIGHT WING DOWN, NOSE LOW ATTITUDE & BURNED. THE ACFT WAS NOT EQUIPPED FOR FLT IN KNOWN ICING CONDS.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 673 hours in all; 8 in this make and model; 640 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,223 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 4, 1987; 168 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-BA (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Richard Enterprises, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: HWD Hayward CA at 5:44 pm
- Destination: EMT El Monte CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| 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.