Beech C90A accident near Napa, California, October 12, 1993
On October 12, 1993 at about 7:55 pm local time, a Beech C90A, registered N487JD, was substantially damaged in an accident near Napa, California (Napa County airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE DUAL STUDENT'S IMPROPER USE OF POWERPLANT CONTROLS, AND INADEQUATE SUPERVISION BY THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI).
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 12, 1993 · about 7:55 pm local time
- Place
- Napa, California · Napa County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech C90A · all C90As on the register
- Registration
- N487JD · no longer on the register · serial LJ1199
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AN APPROACH WAS MADE TO RUNWAY 24 TO PRACTICE A SHORT FIELD LANDING. THE DUAL STUDENT ESTABLISHED THE PROPER GLIDEPATH AND AIRSPEED. AT ABOUT THE TIME THE AIRPLANE CROSSED OVER THE THRESHOLD, THE DUAL STUDENT INADVERTENTLY PLACED BOTH POWER LEVERS IN REVERSE. THE AIRPLANE 'VEERED' SHARPLY TO THE LEFT, THEN PITCHED DOWN. THE CFI ADVANCED BOTH POWER LEVERS TO FULL POWER AND APPLIED RIGHT RUDDER AND UP ELEVATOR, BUT WITHOUT SUCCESS. THE AIRPLANE PITCHED DOWNWARD AND LANDED HARD, DAMAGING THE WING SPARS AND ENGINE MOUNTS.
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, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 19,257 hours in all; 1,020 in this make and model; 105 in the last 90 days; 70 in the last 30 days; 19,077 as pilot in command; 12,698 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,255 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, September 8, 1993; 57 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 10,160 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A-21 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BUR Burbank CA at 6:15 pm
- Destination: APC
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 24, 5,007 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.