ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 240947
Last updated: 30 September 2020
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| Date: | 04-SEP-2020 |
| Time: | 18:30 UTC |
| Type: |  Beechcraft V35B Bonanza |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N818S |
| C/n / msn: | D-9101 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Sequoia National Park, near Three Rivers, Tulare County, CA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Visalia Airport, CA (VIS/KVIS) |
| Needles Airport, CA (EED) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
On September 4, 2020, about 1148 Pacific daylight time, a Beechcraft 35 airplane, N818S was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Three Rivers, California. The pilot and the passenger sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
After family members of the pilot became concerned when he did not arrive at his intended destination, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an alert notice (ALNOT) for the airplane. The wreckage was discovered in mountainous terrain in Sequoia National Park early morning on September 5, 2020. According to first responders, a postcrash fire ensued following the impact.
Preliminary radar data depicted a primary target consistent with the accident airplane depart Visalia Municipal Airport (VIS), Visalia, California, about 1125 and flew east on a 1200 non-discreet code. The airplane flew toward rising terrain south of Silver City, California, and the last recorded radar target was about 1148.
The pilot was flying in an area of reduced visibility due to smoke from nearby wildfires.
There were no reported witnesses to the accident sequence.
Sources:
https://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/story/news/2020/09/05/visalia-pilot-passenger-crash-sequoia-national-park/5730195002/
https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2020/09/plane-crash-claims-two-lives-sequoia-national-park
https://www.asias.faa.gov/apex/f?p=100:95:::NO::P95_EVENT_LCL_DATE,P95_LOC_CITY_NAME,P95_REGIST_NBR:04-SEP-20,THREE%20RIVERS,N818S
https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=818S
Build 1970.
NTSB investigating the 9/4/20 crash of a Beech BE-35 airplane in Sequoia National Park, CA. NTSB is not traveling to the scene of the crash at this time.
— NTSB_Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) September 5, 2020
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 05-Sep-2020 23:10 | Captain Adam | Added |
| 06-Sep-2020 00:07 | RobertMB | Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 06-Sep-2020 09:03 | RobertMB | Updated [Registration, Cn, Operator, Source, Narrative] |
| 06-Sep-2020 09:33 | A.J.Scholten | Updated [Source] |
| 08-Sep-2020 16:09 | RobertMB | Updated [Time, Registration, Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 22-Sep-2020 23:07 | Captain Adam | Updated [Narrative] |
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