Beech G33 accident near Crestline, California, May 5, 1998
On May 5, 1998 at about 4:07 pm local time, a Beech G33, registered N9471Q, was destroyed in an accident near Crestline, California (Rialto Municipal Airport). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's intentional flight into known instrument weather conditions while operating VFR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 5, 1998 · about 4:07 pm local time
- Place
- Crestline, California · Rialto Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech G33 · all G33s on the register
- Registration
- N9471Q · no longer on the register · serial CD-1280
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While receiving flight following, the commercial pilot was advised by the controller that he was cleared for 'unrestricted descent' and was given the current altimeter setting. After the transmission, the pilot acknowledged that there were clouds in his vicinity but began a descent toward the destination airport with the gear extended. After the airplane descended below the base of radar coverage, the controller advised that radar contact was lost; however, the pilot did not respond. Further attempts to contact the pilot were unsuccessful. The airplane collided with utility lines located on a ridge that crossed the pilot's route of flight. The airplane was equipped with navigational radios that were compatible with the published approach at the destination, and reported weather was above published minimums; however, the instrument rated pilot did not request a clearance nor were instrument charts found at the accident site. Visibility at the accident site was reported to be about 100 to 200 feet in mist with heavy precipitation and clouds at tree top level.
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: 4,000 hours in all; 700 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,047 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 26, 1997; 143 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-N (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SGU St. George UT at 2:14 pm
- Destination: L67 Rialto CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,500 ft; scat at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 pm from ONT, 22 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 LAX98FA153.