Grumman G-1159 accident near Van Nuys, California, February 16, 1999
On February 16, 1999 at about 9:06 pm local time, a Grumman G-1159, registered N711TE, was substantially damaged in an accident near Van Nuys, California (Van Nuys airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot performed inadequate in flight planning and decided to continue the approach and landing with excessive airspeed. The pilot failed to follow company directives, which required a go around under the encountered flight conditions. This led to a long landing, resulting in an overrun and collision with parked airplanes.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 16, 1999 · about 9:06 pm local time
- Place
- Van Nuys, California · Van Nuys · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman G-1159 · all G-1159s on the register
- Registration
- N711TE · registry record · serial 105
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot flew the airplane on final approach above reference speed, landed long, overran the runway, and collided with airplanes in a tie down area. During the descent from 8,000 feet, and within 13 miles of the airport, the airplane reached speeds over 300 knots and attained descent rates in excess of 4,000 feet per minute. At 1.5 miles from the runway and 700 feet above the airport elevation, the airplane was descending at 3,000 feet per minute and flying over 200 knots. The reference speed was 138 knots with flaps 20 during the approach and 125 knots for landing. Company policy required the pilot to maintain speed within 10 knots of reference speed. Neither aircrew member considered a go around. The aircrew did not provide a safety briefing to the passenger. After the airplane came to rest, the aircrew evacuated the airplane prior to off-loading their passenger.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,000 hours in all; 3,000 in this make and model; 170 in the last 90 days; 65 in the last 30 days; 6,200 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 31, 1999
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,671 hours in all; 1,293 in this make and model; 117 in the last 90 days; 57 in the last 30 days; 4,197 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 29, 1999
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 14,333 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 62,000 lb
- Seats: 17
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Rolls-Royce SPEY 511-8 (turbojet); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MTJ Montrose CO at 8:35 pm
- Destination: VNY Van Nuys CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 16R, 8,001 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 14,000 ft; scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:18 pm from VNY
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | |||
| 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.