NTSB Factual Report

On May 10, 2018, about 2031 Pacific daylight time, a Beech BE76 twin-engine airplane, N803FC, collided with mountainous terrain while maneuvering in the vicinity of Julian, California. The certificated flight instructor, pilot receiving instruction, and student pilot rated passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was destroyed by a post impact fire. The airplane was registered to and operated by Scandinavian Aviation Academy as an instructional cross-country flight under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from Apple Valley Airport (APV), Apple Valley, California, at an undetermined time and was destined for Gillespie Field Airport (SEE), El Cajon, California.

According to the representatives from the flight school, the purpose of the flight was a day and night 100 nautical mile (nm) cross country flight. The flight to APV was conducted during the day, and the return flight from APV to SEE was to be conducted at night.

Review of preliminary radar data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) identified the airplane near the Ramona Airport (RMN) about 2003. Radar tracking showed that the airplane traveled east from RMN, climbed to about 5,600 ft mean sea level (msl), with the groundspeed varying from 116 knots to 133 knots for about 14 miles. The airplane then began to slow and it made a left turn from about a 48° course heading to about a 176° course heading. Throughout the turn, the altitude remained about 5,600 ft msl, and the groundspeed decreased to 55 knots. At the completion of the turn, the groundspeed increased to about 67 knots, and a climb was initiated to 6,600 ft msl while continuing on a southwestern course of about 195°. The airplane then made a right turn to an easterly heading for about 10 miles.

The radar data further depicted a left 180o turn was initiated at an altitude of 6,200 ft msl and a groundspeed of about 121 knots. At what appears to be the apex of the turn, the airplane was at 6,100 ft msl and a groundspeed of 50 knots. The airplane then began to descend, and groundspeed increased to 74 knots, then decreased to 50 knots. The last radar return was recorded at 2031, with the airplane at an altitude of 5,700 ft msl and a groundspeed of 67 knots in the vicinity of the accident site.

The accident site was located less than 1 mile southeast of the Julian VOR (Very-High-Frequency Omnirange Navigation Equipment) in mountainous terrain near the bottom of a draw at an elevation of about 4,200 ft. The wreckage debris was orientated along an east-west direction and the initial impact direction was on a westerly heading. The wreckage was contained within a 150-foot circumference of the initial impact point. The first piece of identified wreckage near the initial impact point was the fire extinguisher. The farthest portion of wreckage located downslope of the initial impact was the right side propeller. All structural components were located at the accident site.

The wreckage was transported to a secure location for further examination.