- Date
- December 29, 1989, 18:53 local (Dec 30, 1989, 02:53 UTC)
- Place
- Santa Barbara, CA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N8138EPiper PA28-181
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report June 22, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891229054369A
- Case key
- 26712
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 failure to maintain adequate terrain clearance during a night visual approach.
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 aircraft collided with a hill during a night visual approach. The pilot stated that there was some turbulence on the approach, and that the approach looked like a 'black hole'. He also stated that he was too low.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8138E
- Reported as
- Piper PA28-181
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-8090176
- Engine
- Avco Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Ortale, Richard
- Departed
- MRY · Monterey, CA
- Destination
- SBA · Santa Barbara, CA
- Airport
- SBA · Santa Barbara
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
- 49
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 492 total · 425 in this make and model · 6 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 30° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SBA
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.