Beech 35 accident near Temecula, California, July 24, 1998
On July 24, 1998 at about 7:28 pm local time, a Beech 35, registered N2720V, was destroyed in an accident near Temecula, California (French Valley airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A partial loss of engine power due to a disconnected throttle linkage, which was the result of an inadequate maintenance installation/inspection.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 24, 1998 · about 7:28 pm local time
- Place
- Temecula, California · French Valley
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 35 · all 35s on the register
- Registration
- N2720V · no longer on the register · serial D-97
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot initiated a go-around at 50 to 75 feet agl due to excessive airspeed, and as he applied full throttle, the engine went to idle. He turned the aircraft toward a street and impacted the terrain about 1/2 mile from the airport. The Safety Board conducted a teardown inspection of the engine and discovered that the throttle linkage was disconnected. The bolt that connects the throttle cable to the throttle control rod end bearing was protruding out of the extension sleeve by only two threads. The aircraft had only flown approximately 1 hour since the annual inspection earlier in the month. The pilot did not report any mechanical problems with the aircraft prior to the accident sequence.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,713 hours in all; 1,563 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 1,630 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 623 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 1998; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental E185 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 95L Pauma Valley CA at 7:00 pm
- Destination: F70
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 4,600 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:55 pm from RAL, 29 miles away
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.