Beech 95 55 accident near Oceanside, California, July 27, 2010
On July 27, 2010 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Beech 95 55, registered N33CJ, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Oceanside, California (Oceanside Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control of the airplane following a loss of power in the right engine. The reason for the loss of power in the right engine could not be determined.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 27, 2010 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Oceanside, California · Oceanside Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 95 55 NO SERIES · all 95 55s on the register
- Registration
- N33CJ · registry record · serial TC-1074
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
One witness reported that, during the airplane's initial climb, the engines seemed out of synchronization, and the airplane was yawing and drifting to the right and wasn’t gaining altitude before it rolled to the right in a descent and went out of view. A second witness reported that one engine didn’t sound like it was producing full power, like it was sputtering, and another witness observed the low-flying airplane’s landing gear retract before it rolled to the right and crashed. The airplane impacted terrain in an open field in a slightly right-wing-low attitude, came to rest upright, and sustained extensive thermal damage to the cabin and cockpit, obliterating any evidence of switch or control lever position or instrument indication. A postaccident examination of the airframe, engines, and propellers revealed no evidence of mechanical failure or malfunction that would have precluded normal operation. Examination of the propellers revealed signatures consistent with the left engine producing low power and the right engine producing no power at ground impact.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (partial) during initial climb
- Loss of control in flight during initial climb defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › (general) › Not specified
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 33,000 hours in all; 648 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: March 11, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,196 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 13, 2010; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Teledyne-Continental Motors IO-520-E (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Teledyne-Continental Motors IO-520-E (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: OKB Oceanside CA at 6:00 pm
- Destination: OKB Oceanside CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 06, 2,712 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 5:52 pm from OKB, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.