Beech 36 accident near San Diego, California, April 15, 1999
On April 15, 1999 at about 12:22 pm local time, a Beech 36, registered N7706R, was destroyed in an accident near San Diego, California (Montgomery Field). 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 failure to maintain the proper glidepath during an ILS approach. A factor in the accident was the pilot's disregard for the weather reports, which showed the airport as being below landing minimums.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 15, 1999 · about 12:22 pm local time
- Place
- San Diego, California · Montgomery Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech 36 · all 36s on the register
- Registration
- N7706R · no longer on the register · serial E-106
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot contacted FSS and requested weather at several local San Diego airports. He was told to expect low IFR conditions with visibility less than 1/4 mile in fog and indefinite ceilings of 100 feet. The pilot then obtained a clearance to enter the Class B airspace using a fictitious call sign. He requested and was issued an IFR clearance to the airport, and was later cleared for the ILS runway 28R approach. Prior to issuing the approach clearance, the controller asked the pilot what his intentions would be when he made the missed approach. The pilot replied that he would want radar vectors for a second approach. Numerous times on the approach the controller either asked the pilot if he was receiving the glideslope satisfactorily, or told him his position and what his altitude along the approach segments should have been. The controller issued two low altitude alerts; the final one at the outer marker where the airplane was observed 300 feet low. Recorded radar data showed that the airplane was consistently below ATC assigned and charted minimum descent altitudes for most of the approach. The airplane collided with trees and the ground about 1 mile short of the runway. Two ground witnesses reported hearing a loud noise and began looking for the source of the noise. They almost ran over the downed trees and the burning aircraft wreckage before acquiring it visually due to the dense fog. None of the pilot's personal logbooks or aircraft records could be located to establish his instrument currency, although the pilot's daughter stated that he flew fairly frequently. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no abnormalities in either the engine or the airframe. The day before the accident the same airplane had been observed entering Class B airspace and landing at a controlled field without an ATC clearance.
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: 900 hours in all
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-BA (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: CXL Calexico CA
- Destination: MYF
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28R, 4,577 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 am from MYF, 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.