San Luis Obispo Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

San Luis Obispo, California 93401
Wednesday, September 7, 1988 20:39 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

WHILE ENROUTE IFR TO SANTA BARBARA THE WX CONDITIONS WENT BELOW MINIMUMS. THE PLT FIRST ASKED ABOUT SANTA MARIA (SMX) AS AN ALTERNATE BUT THE WX WAS BELOW MINIMUMS AS WELL. THE PLT THEN SELECTED SAN LUIS OBISPO (SBP) FOR HIS ALTERNATE DEST. RADAR DATA SHOWED THE ACFT WAS HIGH DURING THE LOCALIZER APPROACH TO SBP AND PASSED OVER THE AIRPORT AT 2,600 FT MSL (2,300 AGL). THE CONTROLLER ISSUED A CLIMB TO 5,000 FT AND TOLD THE PLT TO EXECUTE THE MISSED APPROACH AS PUBLISHED. THERE WAS CONFUSION ABOUT THE INSTRUCTION. THE PLT STATED 'MISSED APPROACH AS PUBLISHED,' TO WHICH THE CONTROLLER RESPONDED 'AFFIRMATIVE'. RADAR DATA SHOWED THE ACFT DESCENDED TO 2,200 FT, WHERE RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST. ON SITE EXAM REVEALED THE ACFT HIT THE TOP OF A HILL IN A LEVEL STD RATE TURN TO THE LEFT. TWO APPROACH PLATES WERE ON THE PLTS CLIPBOARD, THE SMX ILS & THE SBP LOCALIZER. THE SMX MISSED APPROACH SPECIFIES A CLIMBING LEFT TURN TO 2,000 BACK TO THE VOR. BOTH APPROACH PLATES LOOK SIMILIAR.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

PILOTS ERRONEOUS INTERPRETATION OF HIS MISSED APPROACH CLEARANCE, AND, HIS PERFORMANCE OF THE PUBLISHED MISSED APPROACH PROCEDURE FOR THE SANTA MARIA ILS INSTEAD OF THE SAN LUIS OBISPO LOCALIZER.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 9/7/1988
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 2039
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City SAN LUIS OBISPO
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 93401
Event Date Year 1988
Event Date Month 9
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport SAN LUIS OBISPO
Event Location Nearest Airport ID SBP
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 209
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 2045 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 272
Weather Observation Facility ID SBP
Elevation of weather observation facility 209
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 6
Time Zone of the weather observation PDT
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 700
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 5
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 13
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 12
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 300
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 4
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 50
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 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2383
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Sep 8 1988 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1815
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 39097
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 12:08PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N33283
NTSB Number LAX88FA314
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 177RG
Aircraft Series Identifier 177RG
Aircraft Serial Number 177RG0942
Certified Max Gross Weight 2800
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 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Sep 1 1987 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 92
Airframe Hours 1359
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Yes
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name IRVING S SOBEL
Aircraft Owner Street Address 6511 CEDAR BLVD
Aircraft Owner City NEWARK
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 94560
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name LUTZELMANN, ANDREAS M.
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 3785 MAPLEWOOD AVENUE
Operator City LOS ANGELES
Operator State CA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 90066
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 No
Departure Airport Code MRY
Departure City MONTEREY
Departure State CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1907
Departure Time Zone PDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code SBA
Destination City SANTA BARBARA
Destination State CA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Approach
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 11
Runway Length 4799
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --