- Date
- September 7, 1988, 20:39 local (Sep 8, 1988, 03:39 UTC)
- Place
- San Luis Obispo, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N33283Cessna 177RG
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report July 9, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880907038399A
- Case key
- 25863
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Pilots erroneous interpretation of his missed approach clearance, and, his performance of the published missed approach procedure for the santa maria ILS instead of the San Luis Obispo localizer.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
While enroute IFR to santa barbara the wx conditions went below minimums. The plt first asked about santa maria (smx) as an alternate but the wx was below minimums as well. The plt then selected San Luis Obispo (sbp) for his alternate dest. Radar data showed the acft was high during the localizer approach to sbp and passed over the airport at 2,600 ft MSL (2,300 AGL). The controller issued a climb to 5,000 ft and told the plt to execute the missed approach as published. There was confusion about the instruction. The plt stated 'missed approach as published,' to which the controller responded 'affirmative'. Radar data showed the acft descended to 2,200 ft, where radar contact was lost. On site exam revealed the acft hit the top of a hill in a level std rate turn to the left. Two approach plates were on the plts clipboard, the smx ILS & the sbp localizer. The smx missed approach specifies a climbing left turn to 2,000 back to the VOR. Both approach plates look similiar.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N33283
- Reported as
- Cessna 177RG
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 177RG0942
- Airframe hours
- 1,359
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A1B6D, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Lutzelmann, Andreas M.
- Registered owner
- Irving S Sobel
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 1, 1987 · 92 hours before
- Departed
- MRY · Monterey, CA
- Destination
- SBA · Santa Barbara, CA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- SBP · San Luis Obispo, runway 11, 4,799 × 150 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 35
- Certificates
- Commercial, Foreign
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 551 total · 5 in this make and model · 404 as pilot in command · 36 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 300° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 700 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SBP, 6 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.