- Date
- October 12, 1988, 10:07 local (17:07 UTC)
- Place
- Santa Maria, CA
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N6198HPiper PA-32-300
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 16, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19881012046299A
- Case key
- 26181
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
The pilot failed to follow the correct I.f.r. procedures whereas he descended below the final approach fix altitude.
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
Drg arrival, the plt was provided vectors for a localizer/dme backcourse-alpha apch to rwy 30. Vectors were provided to intercept the localizer before reaching the final apch fix (camco), which was 6 mi from the rwy. Also, the plt was instructed to maintain 3500' until established on the localizer. At 1003:52, he was adzd that radar svc was terminated &to contact the tower. At 1006, he contacted the tower & acknowledged instructions to rprt at camco, then there was no further communication with the acft. Search procedures were initiated & the acft was subsequently found where it had crashed abt 1/2 mi sw of camco at an elevation of aprx 1326'. Min altitude for the apch was 3000' until passing camco, then the min altitude was 1680' until reaching 'pater' which was 2.2 mi from the rwy. No preimpact part failure or malfunction of the acft or eng was found. The pilot had logged 5.4 actual instrument hours and 6 instrument approaches in the preceding 6 mos. His log did not record any experience with backcourse approaches.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6198H
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-300
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-780036
- Airframe hours
- 1,800
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K1G5, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Lon V. White
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 25, 1989 · 75 hours before
- Departed
- L18 · Fallbrook, CA
- Destination
- SMX
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- SMX · Santa Maria, runway 30, 6,300 × 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
- 67
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,724 total · 345 in this make and model · 1,608 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 900 ft overcast
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SMX, 5 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.