Hawker Siddeley DH.125-1A/522 accident near San Diego, California, March 16, 1991
On March 16, 1991 at about 9:43 am local time, a Hawker Siddeley DH.125-1A/522, registered N831LC, was destroyed in an accident near San Diego, California (Brown Field Muni). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 10 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT, THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALTITUDE AND CLEARANCE OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, AND THE COPILOT'S FAILURE TO ADEQUATELY MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THE FLIGHT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: INSUFFICIENT TERRAIN INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE FLIGHT SERVICE SPECIALIST DURING THE PREFLIGHT BRIEFING AFTER THE PILOT INQUIRED ABOUT A LOW ALTITUDE DEPARTURE, DARKNESS, MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, BOTH PILOT'S LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE GEOGRAPHICAL AREA, AND THE COPILOT'S LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE AIRCRAFT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 16, 1991 · about 9:43 am local time
- Place
- San Diego, California · Brown Field Muni
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 10 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hawker Siddeley DH.125-1A/522 DH.125-1A/
- Registration
- N831LC · no longer on the register · serial 25095
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER FLYING PSNL OF ENTERTAINMENT GROUP TO LINDBERGH FLD, ACFT WAS PSND TO NRBY BROWN FLD, SINCE LATE DEP WAS PLANNED AFTER NOISE CURFEW WAS IN EFFECT AT LINDBERGH. PLT TALKED WITH FSS SPECIALIST (SPLST) 3 TIMES BFR TKOF. HE RPRTD HE DID NOT HAVE INST DEP PROC FM ARPT. SPLST READ DEP PROC ON PHONE. ON LAST CALL TO FSS, PLT SAID HE PLANNED TO DEP VFR TWD NE & OBTAIN IFR CLNC AFTER AIRBORNE. (THIS RTE WAS TWD MTS.) DRG CALL, PLT EXPRESSED CONCERN ABT REMAINING CLR OF TCA & INQUIRED ABT STAYING BLO 3000'. SPLST AGREED WITH PLTS CONCERNS, BUT AFTER ACDNT, SPLST SAID HE THOUGHT PLT WAS REFERRING TO 3000' AGL, RATHER THAN 3000' MSL. PLT HAD FILED TO TKOF AT MIDNIGHT, BUT DIDN'T GET AIRBORNE UNTIL 0141 PST. SINCE FLT WAS OVR 1.5 HRS LATE, IFR FLT PLAN HAD 'CLOCKED OUT.' AS CTLR WAS REENTERING FLT PLAN IN COMPUTER, ACFT HIT RISING TRRN NR TOP OF MTN, ABT 8 MI NE OF ARPT AT ELEV OF ABT 3300'. NO DEFICIENCIES WERE FND WITH ACFT OR ITS ENGS. COPLT HAD NO TYPE RATING FOR THIS ACFT, THO HE RPRTDLY HAD MADE 3 TKOFS & LNDGS IN HAWKER-SIDDELEY DH.125.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,000 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 14,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, January 2, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 21,200 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Rolls-Royce VIPER 522 (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Prestige Tours, INC.
The flight
- Destination: AMA Amarillo TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 8, 7,999 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,800 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 8 |
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.