Beech B-60 accident near Big Bear City, California, April 5, 1997
On April 5, 1997 at about 3:00 am local time, a Beech B-60, registered N22FS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Big Bear City, California (Big Bear City airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's decision to land with a tail wind condition, and a failure to attain the proper touchdown point which resulted in an overrun.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 5, 1997 · about 3:00 am local time
- Place
- Big Bear City, California · Big Bear City · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech B-60 · all B-60s on the register
- Registration
- N22FS · no longer on the register · serial P-583
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot descended on the west side of the airport because clouds with low bases existed to the east. It was a dark night, and although the pilot did not observe the windsock, his GPS indicated a tail wind on runway 08. The pilot further indicated that he encountered a wind gust during rollout, overran the departure end of the runway, and skidded into a perimeter fence. No mechanical malfunctions were reported. Responding sheriff personnel observed 696 feet of skid marks on the pavement, and airport management noted the airplane came to rest upon impacting the perimeter fence, about 90 feet east of the runway's end. Within 20 minutes before and after the accident, the airport's AWOS indicated that the wind was from 220 to 240 degrees at 13 to 16 knots, with gusts from 19 to 23 knots.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,508 hours in all; 435 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 3,354 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,200 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 9, 1996; 70 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,775 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TSIO-541 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SNA Santa Ana CA at 2:30 am
- Destination: L35
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 8, 5,850 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 240° at 16 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 700 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:00 am from L35, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| 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.