Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Santa Maria, California 93455
Saturday, March 26, 1988 12:30 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
ATCT CONTROLLERS REPORTED THAT THE INITIAL GROUND ROLL, ROTATION AND LIFT OFF SEEMED NORMAL. AS THE AIRCRAFT PASSED THE TOWER CAB AT ABOUT 80 FT AGL, IT WAS SEEN TO 'APPRECIABLY SLOW AND YAW TO THE LEFT JUST LIKE A PRACTICE ENGINE CUT' THE CONTROLLERS HAD SEEN ON PRIOR OCCASIONS. WITNESSES SAW THE AIRCRAFT LEVEL OFF MOMENTARILY THEN BEGIN A CLIMB. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN A LEFT TURN, CONTINUED TO ROLL TO A NEAR INVERTED ATTITUDE AND DOVE INTO THE GROUND. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE LEFT PROP WAS AT THE LOW PITCH STOP AT IMPACT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOTALLY CONSUMED BY THE POST CRASH FIRE AND THE REASON FOR THE ENGINE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. RECORDS INDICATED THAT THE PILOT HAD FLOWN 32 HOURS IN THE PAST 15 MONTHS AND THAT THE LAST EMERGENCY TRAINING WAS TWO YEARS BEFORE.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO ADEQUATELY COMPENSATE FOR THE LOSS OF POWER IN THE LEFT ENGINE AND TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/26/1988 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1230 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | SANTA MARIA |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 93455 |
| Event Date Year | 1988 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 259 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1241 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | SMX |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 259 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 50 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 33 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 300 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 2000 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 3 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2359 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 26 1988 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1239 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 39073 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 11:37AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8855M |
| NTSB Number | LAX88FA134 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | Ground |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BEECH |
| Aircraft Model | D95A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | D95A |
| Aircraft Serial Number | TD591 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4200 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Dec 7 1987 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 5 |
| Airframe Hours | 3495 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | VAN VALIN, WILLIAM B. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2010A MISSION DRIVE |
| Aircraft Owner City | SOLVANG |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 93463 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | SMX |
| Departure City | SANTA MARIA |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1229 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | IZA |
| Destination City | SANTA YNEZ |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 30 |
| Runway Length | 6300 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |