Beech 95-B55 accident near Sutter, California, February 22, 1998
On February 22, 1998, a Beech 95-B55, registered N67623, was destroyed in an accident near Sutter, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's in-flight decision(s) to attempt VFR flight in instrument meteorological conditions at an altitude which did not provide for adequate terrain clearance requirements. A factor that contributed to the accident was the pilot's decision to disregard the preflight weather briefing he obtained, which advised against visual flight along his intended route.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 22, 1998
- Place
- Sutter, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech 95-B55 · all 95-B55s on the register
- Registration
- N67623 · no longer on the register · serial TC-876
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The instrument rated pilot departed Chico and flew in a southerly direction toward the destination. The flight path was reconstructed using recorded radar data and ground witness observations. The pilot maintained a cruise altitude between 700 and 900 feet msl and initially was cruising below the clouds. The ceiling lowered, and the pilot reversed course. The pilot entered the base of the clouds, lost visual reference to the ground, and cruised into the upsloping mountainous terrain of Sutter Buttes, impacting about 780 feet msl. Prior to the flight the pilot, who had been visiting his daughter, indicated to her that if the weather became inclement he would reverse course and return to Chico. At 1101, the pilot received a weather briefing, which indicated that instrument meteorological weather conditions (IMC) including icing, existed along the planned route of flight home, and the pilot delayed his departure. The pilot received additional briefings at 1315 and 1518, and both indicated IMC continued to exist. The pilot's logbook indicated he last flew under IMC 9 months previously, and he had not maintained instrument flying currency. No evidence of a preimpact mechanical malfunction was found during the examination of the airplane.
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: 914 hours in all; 148 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,443 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 16, 1997; 19 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-L (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: CIC Chico CA
- Destination: L17 Taft CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 18 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 800 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.