Beech D95A accident near Oakdale, California, August 28, 1994
On August 28, 1994 at about 1:05 am local time, a Beech D95A, registered N4835J, was destroyed in an accident near Oakdale, California (Oakdale airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IMPROPER IN-FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION BY THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI), AND THE CFI'S INADEQUATE SUPERVISION BY NOT ASSURING THAT THE MINIMUM CONTROL SPEED (VMC) WAS MAINTAINED. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE CFI'S LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN MULTI-ENGINE INSTRUCTIONAL TRAINING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 28, 1994 · about 1:05 am local time
- Place
- Oakdale, California · Oakdale · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech D95A · all D95As on the register
- Registration
- N4835J · no longer on the register · serial TD-679
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THIS WAS THE STUDENT'S FIRST FLIGHT IN A MULTIENGINE FLIGHT TRAINING COURSE. AFTER 3 TAKEOFFS & LANDINGS AT THE AIRPORT, THE FLIGHT DEPARTED THE AREA, THEN RETURNED A FEW MINUTES LATER. WHEN THE CFI TRANSMITTED THEIR POSITION, A GROUND-BASED WITNESS (ALSO A MULTI-ENGINE CFI) HEARD THE SOUND OF A GEAR WARNING HORN IN THE BACKGROUND. THE WITNESS OPINED THAT THE FLIGHT WAS PRACTICING A SINGLE ENGINE APPROACH. THE WITNESS OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT DESCEND TO ABOUT 30' AGL AS IT OVERFLEW THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY, THEN ENTER A SHALLOW CLIMBOUT. BEFORE REACHING THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY, THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED A LEFT BANK. THE BANK ANGLE GRADUALLY INCREASED UNTIL BECOMING VERTICAL, AND THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO A FIELD NEXT TO THE AIRPORT. AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED NO PREIMPACT MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION. THE LEFT & RIGHT FUEL TANK SELECTORS WERE FOUND IN THE 'OFF' & 'MAIN TANK' POSITIONS, RESPECTIVELY. THE LEFT PROPELLER APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN IN THE FEATHER POSITION, THE RIGHT PROPELLER WAS TWISTED & BENT. THE CFI HAD GIVEN ABOUT 8 HOURS TOTAL OF MULTIENGINE INSTRUCTION (TO ANOTHER STUDENT) DURING THE 2.5 WEEKS SINCE HAVING BEEN ISSUED A MULTIENGINE INSTRUCTOR PILOT CERTIFICATE.
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 multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,430 hours in all; 75 in this make and model; 750 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,913 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 20, 1994; 61 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-B1B (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Diamond K. Aviation, INC.
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 3,020 ft by 66 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.