- Date
- September 24, 1990, 07:02 local (14:02 UTC)
- Place
- San Luis Obispo, CA
- Injuries
- 4 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N79DDCessna 500
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 28, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900924042189A
- Case key
- 26658
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's improper IFR (instrument) procedure, and his failure to maintain the minimum descent altitude (mda) for the approach. The adverse weather was a related factor.
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
The flt was clrd for a LOC rwy 11 apch. About 3 min later, the 2ND-IN-command (SIC) rprtd ' . . . We don't get the localizer can you see if we're on course.' The lax ARTCC R-15 ctlr confirmed the flt was rgt of course & below the rqrd alt. The acft's mode c indcd an alt of 1400 ft; the ctlr adzd the flt crew to maint at least 2300 ft until past the final approach fix (faf). The crew then replied that they were in VMC. Radar svc was terminated & a freq change to tower was approved. Shortly thereafter, the acft hit a eucalyptus tree at abt 90 ft AGL, 2.05 mi fm the apch end of the rwy & abt 195 ft rgt of the LOC. Elev of the crash site was 101 ft; min dscnt alt (mda) for the apch was 640 ft. the 0645 PDT wx was, in part: indefinite ceiling, 100 ft obscured, vis 1/8 mi with fog, wind from 220 deg at 4 KTS. No preimpact part failure or malfunction of the acft was found.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N79DD
- Reported as
- Cessna 500
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 500-0254
- Airframe hours
- 4,197
- Engine
- P&W JT-15D-1A, 2,200 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Hi Tech Helicopters, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · July 19, 1990 · 2 hours before
- Departed
- VNY · Van Nuys, 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
- 38
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,021 total · 95 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 4 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- 100 ft
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SBP, 2 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.