Beech 95-C55 accident near San Diego, California, November 22, 1996
On November 22, 1996, a Beech 95-C55, registered N3774Q, was destroyed in an accident near San Diego, California (Brown Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's lack of situational awareness (becoming lost/disoriented during the approach), his failure to fly the approach as charted, and his failure to maintain aircraft control, while attempting an abrupt turn toward the airport, which led to an inadvertent stall/spin. The pilot's lack of recent instrument experience was a related factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 22, 1996
- Place
- San Diego, California · Brown Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech 95-C55 · all 95-C55s on the register
- Registration
- N3774Q · no longer on the register · serial TC-320
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot (plt) got 2 weather (wx) briefings & was advised of deteriorating IFR wx in the destination area. When he filed an IFR flight plan, he told the briefer that he did not have his charts; the briefer looked up the airway designations & fixes for the plt. Near the destination, TRACON told the plt the airport (arpt) was below minimums, & that 3 aircraft (acft) had made missed approaches without seeing the ground. The controller then suggested nearby arpts that were above approach minimums as alternates. The plt said his car was parked at the arpt, & he wanted to make the approach. Radar data disclosed the acft flew the approach segments at least 1,000 higher than the charted altitudes at speeds between 180 & 155 kts. The acft overflew the missed approach point & arpt, then crossed the adjacent US/Mexico border before ATC could instruct the plt to make an immediate missed approach. The plt responded on the radio 'I guess I don't know where I am.' Radar data showed the acft climbing & descending rapidly as it reversed course, then descend to 300 ft agl as it neared the west arpt boundary. The plt transmitted that he thought he had the arpt in sight. Four seconds later, the acft impacted the departure end of the runway. Ground witnesses observed the acft in cloud bases, & they noted that it narrowly missed a building; it then turned sharply toward the runway before descending steeply to ground impact. The pilot's logbook did not show that he had met instrument currency requirements of 14 CFR 91.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 547 hours in all; 265 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 464 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,398 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 1996; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,300 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-C (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: IMP Imperial CA at 11:45 pm
- Destination: SDM
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 26R, 7,999 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 0.5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 300 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.