- Date
- August 16, 1990, 14:15 local (21:15 UTC)
- Place
- Goleta, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N80981Cessna 172M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 23, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900816033199A
- Case key
- 26895
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 loss of engine oil pressure for undetermined reasons.
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 purpose of the flight was to allow the passengers to look over some sailing routes and anchorages at the santa cruz island. The pilot said that while flying over the island he noted the oil pressure was slowly decreasing and he decided to return to the mainland. The oil pressure continued to decrease and finally reached zero. The pilot said the engine seized shortly thereafter and he ditched the aircraft in close proximity to an off shore oil drilling platform. A boat from the platform rescued the pilot and passengers.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N80981
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17266824
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Aaa Flying Club, Inc., doing business as Above All Aviation
- Registered owner
- Unknown
- Departed
- SBA · Santa Barbara, CA
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
- 45
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 264 total · 18 in this make and model · 216 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.