Plane Crash List

Piper PA28-181 N8138E

30 December 1989 · Santa Barbara, California, United States · No injuries

Summary

On 30 December 1989 at about 02:53 local time, a Piper PA28-181 registered N8138E was involved in an accident near Santa Barbara, California, United States. 3 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

The record

Date
at 02:53
Classification
Accident
Location
Santa Barbara, California, United States
Nearest airport
Santa Barbara (SBA)
Coordinates
34.4990, -120.1198
Aircraft
Piper PA28-181
Registration
N8138E
Category
Airplane
Engines
1
Operator
Not recorded
Operating rule
Part 91: General Aviation
Purpose of flight
Personal
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Route
Monterey → Santa Barbara
Aircraft damage
Substantial
Weather
VMC
Light
Night/Dark
NTSB number
LAX90LA059

People

Nobody was injured.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
3 0 0 0 3

Probable cause

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE TERRAIN CLEARANCE DURING A NIGHT VISUAL APPROACH.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.

Other Piper PA28 accidents

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
8 Jul 1989 Piper PA28-140
N4594T
Holly Hill, South Carolina, United States John J. Kaiser No injuries -
20 Jun 1989 Piper PA28-180
N8419W
Broomfield, Colorado, United States Hudec, Michael A. Minor injuries -
15 Feb 1989 Piper PA28-140
N95286
Beaver Marsh, Oregon, United States - No injuries -
14 Oct 1989 Piper PA28-180
N6651J
Homedale, Idaho, United States Air Gemini No injuries -
31 Mar 1990 Piper PA28-140
N7174R
Durant, Oklahoma, United States - No injuries -
2 Jun 1990 Piper PA28-140
N8760N
Wadsworth, Ohio, United States Ralph D. Brown Fatal 2

All 688 records for this type

Other accidents in this area

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
15 Sep 1989 Piper PA-31-350
N70PE
Ontario, California, United States Ameriflight Fatal 1
26 Sep 1989 Piper PA-25-235
N4450Y
Warner Springs, California, United States - No injuries -
19 Sep 1989 Cessna 310K
N6958L
Ojai, California, United States - Fatal 2
30 Sep 1989 Cessna 182
N96642
Eureka, California, United States Nothern Air No injuries -
30 Sep 1989 Cessna 152
N6422M
Lancaster, California, United States West Coast Air Center Fatal 2
29 Sep 1989 Bellanca 17-30A
N8272R
Palo Alto, California, United States Klouda, Linda K. Minor injuries -

All 170,864 records in United States