Beech B36TC accident near Corona, California, January 22, 2020
On January 22, 2020 at about 8:11 pm local time, a 1983 Beech B36TC, registered N36TT, was destroyed in an accident during takeoff near Corona, California (Corona Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilots’ failure to abort the takeoff, which resulted in a collision with a fence at the end of the runway. Contributing to the accident was the airplane being at or over the maximum gross takeoff weight and the inappropriate elevator trim tab setting.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 22, 2020 · about 8:11 pm local time
- Place
- Corona, California · Corona Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech B36TC, built 1983 · all B36TCs on the register
- Registration
- N36TT · no longer on the register · serial EA-350
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane, with two pilots and two passengers onboard, had landed at the airport to refuel, and 78.06 gallons of fuel were added. The airplane departed with a 5-knot tailwind down a 3,200 ft asphalt runway. According to a witness at the airport, the nose raised off the runway surface prematurely during the takeoff roll. Although the investigation could not determine which pilot was at the controls, neither pilot elected to abort the landing and the airplane bounced down the runway unable to become airborne. The airplane continued to accelerate and reached rotation speed as it collided into a fence at the end of the runway. Onsite examination revealed the elevator trim tabs were in the full-down position (full nose-up trim). It is likely the elevator trim was mistakenly set at full nose-up trim, which enabled the nose to rise off the runway surface prematurely during the takeoff roll. As the airspeed increased, the force required to push the nose down would have become greater. The right-seated pilot owned the airplane and the left-seated pilot had flown with him before. A review of the left-seated pilot’s personal notebook revealed that he had flown 3.7 hours in the accident airplane and therefore, likely had limited familiarity with it. Although the airplane was likely at or over the maximum gross weight based on the amount of fuel added to the airplane, the airplane’s performance charts indicate that the runway length was sufficient at the airplane’s maximum gross takeoff weight to complete a takeoff. Both pilots had ample opportunity to abort the takeoff when they realized the airplane was not becoming airborne but continued with the takeoff attempt.
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
- Runway excursion during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Elevator tab control system › Incorrect use/operation
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › Maximum weight › Not specified
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,800 hours in all
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,700 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,513 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 18, 2019
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental Motors TSIO-520-UB (piston); 2,513 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: AJO Corona CA at 8:10 pm
- Destination: TOA Torrance CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 07, 3,200 ft by 60 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 8:15 pm
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 WPR20FA072.