# Accident 19881012046299A: Piper PA32300, Santa Maria, CA, October 12, 1988

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 12, 1988, 10:07 local time
- Place: Santa Maria, CA
- Airport: Santa Maria Public
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Final Approach-IFR
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.8199° N, 120.4091° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.8199&lon=-120.4091&mi=10
- Aircraft: N6198H, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N6198H-1989-07-19) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-32-300 (registry code 7103212, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32-300) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA32300
- Reported engine: LYC IO540K1G5
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 3
- Pilot flight hours: 1,724 total, 345 in this make and model, 13 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX89FA013](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX89FA013) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19881012046299A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

FLEW INTO SIDE OF A MOUNTAIN ON A BACK COURSE LOC APPROACH. WAS TOO LOW AND OFF COURSE.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB LAX89FA013](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX89FA013), Oct 12, 1988: Piper PA-32-300 (N6198H), Santa Maria, CA, destroyed, 3 fatal. Probable cause: THE PILOT FAILED TO FOLLOW THE CORRECT I.F.R. PROCEDURES WHEREAS HE DESCENDED BELOW THE FINAL APPROACH FIX ALTITUDE.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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