ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 221078
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| Date: | Monday 23 December 1985 |
| Time: | evening |
| Type: |  Beechcraft A55 Baron |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N1494G |
| MSN: | TC-262 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 2165 hours |
| Engine model: | CONTINENTAL IO-470-L |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 |
| Other fatalities: | 4 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Concord, CA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | |
| Buchanan Field Airport | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
a Beechcraft Baron N1494G, executing a missed instrument approach procedure from an approach to runway 19R, lost control and crashed into the roof of the Macy's Department Store at nearby Sunvalley Mall, killing the pilot and two passengers and seriously injuring 84 Christmas shoppers in the crowded mall, mainly by spraying them with burning fuel. Four of the victims on the ground later died.
- NTSB :
DRG ARR, THE ACFT WAS VECTORED FOR AN LDA RWY 19R APCH. AFTER BEING CLRD FOR THE APCH, THE PLT WAS ADVISED THAT RADAR SVC WAS TERMINATED & TOLD TO CONTACT THE TWR. AT 2033 PST, HE RPRTD INBND AT THE FINAL APCH FIX & WAS CLRD FOR THE APCH.APRX 2 MIN LATER, HE DECLARED A MISSED APCH. THE TWR CONTROLLER (CTLR) INSTRUCTED THE PLT TO CONTACT TRAVIS DEP CTL, BUTONLY A 'GARBLED' REPLY WAS HEARD. THERE WAS NO FURTHER RDO CONTACT WITH THE ACFT. AFTER CROSSING THE ARPT ON A SSE HDG, THE ACFT ENTERED A LEFT CLBG TURN AS IF TO BEGIN THE MISSED APCH PROCEDURE, THEN IT TURNED RGT AS IF TO BEGIN A DWNWND &BASE LEG FOR RWY 1L. WITNESSES RPRTD THE ACFT ENTERED CLDS & SHORTLY THEREAFTER, IT REAPPEARED IN A STEEP, DSCNDG, RGT TURN. IT THEN CRASHED INTO A DEPT STORE APRX 1 MI SOUTH OF THE ARPT WHILE IN A 32 DEG RGT BANK, 6 DEG NOSE LOW ATTITUDE.NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE/MALFUNCTION WAS FND THAT WOULD HAVE LED TO THE ACDNT. THE WX (IN PART) WAS: 400' OBSCD, VIS 3/4 MI WITH FOG; SAME AS LDA MINS. MINS FOR CIRCLING APCH WERE 600' & 1 MI. NO COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER INSTALLED OR REQD.
- Probable Cause :
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
AIRCRAFT HANDLING..NOT MAINTAINED..PILOT IN COMMAND
SPATIAL DISORIENTATION..PILOT IN COMMAND
SPIRAL..INADVERTENT..PILOT IN COMMAND
Contributing Factors:
LIGHT CONDITION..DARK NIGHT
WEATHER CONDITION..LOW CEILING
WEATHER CONDITION..FOG
IFR PROCEDURE..NOT FOLLOWED..PILOT IN COMMAND
Sources:
1) NTSB : https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20001214X38454&key=1
2) Wiki : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buchanan_Field_Airport
3) http://www.check-six.com/Crash_Sites/SunValley_Mall_Crash.htm
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Jan-2019 16:17 | Captain Adam | Added |
| 29-Apr-2019 19:58 | BEAVERSPOTTER | Updated [Cn] |
| 06-Jun-2023 10:39 | Ron Averes | Updated [[Cn]] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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