Accident Beechcraft D95A Travel Air N8855M,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 36895
 
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Date:Saturday 26 March 1988
Time:12:30
Type:Silhouette image of generic BE95 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Beechcraft D95A Travel Air
Owner/operator:private
Registration: N8855M
MSN: TD591
Total airframe hrs:3495 hours
Engine model:LYCOMING IO-360-B1B
Fatalities:Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Category:Accident
Location:Santa Maria, CA -   United States of America
Phase: En route
Nature:Private
Departure airport:Santa Maria, CA (SMX)
Destination airport:Santa Ynez, CA (IZA)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
ATCT CONTROLLERS REPORTED THAT THE INITIAL GROUND ROLL, ROTATION AND LIFT OFF SEEMED NORMAL. AS THE AIRCRAFT PASSED THE TOWER CAB AT ABOUT 80 FT AGL, IT WAS SEEN TO 'APPRECIABLY SLOW AND YAW TO THE LEFT JUST LIKE A PRACTICE ENGINE CUT' THE CONTROLLERS HAD SEEN ON PRIOR OCCASIONS. WITNESSES SAW THE AIRCRAFT LEVEL OFF MOMENTARILY THEN BEGIN A CLIMB. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN A LEFT TURN, CONTINUED TO ROLL TO A NEAR INVERTED ATTITUDE AND DOVE INTO THE GROUND. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE LEFT PROP WAS AT THE LOW PITCH STOP AT IMPACT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOTALLY CONSUMED BY THE POST CRASH FIRE AND THE REASON FOR THE ENGINE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. RECORDS INDICATED THAT THE PILOT HAD FLOWN 32 HOURS IN THE PAST 15 MONTHS AND THAT THE LAST EMERGENCY TRAINING WAS TWO YEARS BEFORE. CAUSE: FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO ADEQUATELY COMPENSATE FOR THE LOSS OF POWER IN THE LEFT ENGINE AND TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT.

Sources:

NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20001213X25269

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
24-Oct-2008 10:30 ASN archive Added
21-Dec-2016 19:23 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]

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