Beech 35-C33 accident near Toms Place, California, March 24, 1995
On March 24, 1995 at about 3:52 am local time, a Beech 35-C33, registered N15LT, was destroyed in an accident near Toms Place, California (Mammoth Lakes airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's decisions to initially attempt and then continue flight into known forecast and observed adverse weather. Factors in the accident were: the pilot's inadequate preflight planning and his use of a drug.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 24, 1995 · about 3:52 am local time
- Place
- Toms Place, California · Mammoth Lakes · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech 35-C33 · all 35-C33s on the register
- Registration
- N15LT · registry record · serial CD-956
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT FLEW INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN AFTER OBTAINING A WEATHER BRIEFING. WEATHER ADVISORIES FORECASTED MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION, MODERATE AND SEVERE TURBULENCE, LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR, PRECIPITATION, ICING AND LOW FREEZING LEVELS, AND INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. WITNESSES ON THE GROUND REPORTED SNOW SHOWERS, MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION, HIGH WINDS, TURBULENCE, AND INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH A MOUNTAIN SIDE AT THE 9,600-FOOT LEVEL. TOXICOLOGICAL TESTS OF THE PILOT'S LIVER WERE POSITIVE FOR MEPERIDINE(DEMEROL) AT A LEVEL OF 0.3 MCG/G. ACCORDING TO THE FAA'S CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INSTITUTE, MEPERIDINE IS A NARCOTIC ANALGESIC AND IS PROHIBITED WHILE FLYING AN AIRCRAFT.
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, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,200 hours in all; 8 in the last 30 days; 1,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 3,050 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VNY Van Nuys CA at 2:00 am
- Destination: MMH Mammoth Lakes CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 300° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 8,500 ft; scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:45 am from BIH, 17 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX95FA148.