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LAX86FA057

1985-12-04 · SACRAMENTO, California, United States · Fatal · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport SMF

Aircraft involved

Factual narrative

ON DECEMBER 4, 1985 AT 2230 PST, A BEECH F33A, OPERATED BY THE OWNER, COLLIDED WITH TREES DURING A MISSED APPROACH AT SACRAMENTO METROPOLITAN AIRPORT, SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, WHILE ON A BUSINESS FLIGHT. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME; AN INSTRUMENT CLEARANCE HAD BEEN ISSED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED AND THE OWNER/ PILOT, THE ONLY OCCUPANT, RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA; THE TIME IS UNKNOWN. ACCORDING TO SACRAMENTO METROPOLITAN TOWER PERSONNEL, THE INSTRUMENT-RATED PRIVATE PILOT REQUESTED AN INSTRUMENT APPROACH AND HAD RECEIVED CLEARANCE TO LAND WHEN HE DISAPPEARED FROM RADAR CONTACT, APPROXIMATELY 1/4 MILE NORTH OF RUNWAY 16 AT AN ALTITUDE OF 100 FEET AGL. THE WRECKAGE WAS SUBSEQUENTLY LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 1 1/2 MILES WEST OF THE AIRPORT, WHERE IT HAD CRASHED AND BURNED. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1985_LAX86FA057.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.