San Luis Obispo Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Port San Luis, California 93401
Friday, May 5, 1989 20:15 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PILOT DEPARTED SAN LUIS OBISPO AIRPORT ON A PLANNED FLIGHT TO SANTA BARBARA. THE WX WAS VFR AT SBP BUT THERE WAS FOGAROUND THE COASTAL AREA. ABT 9 MINUTES AFTER DEPARTING SBP GROUND WITNESSES HEARD THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE IN THE VICINITY OF THE CRASH SITE AND THE ENGINE SOUND ABRUPTLY STOPPED. THE PORT SAN LUIS HARBOR PATROL OFFICER THEN HEARD AN ELT TRANSMITTER SIGNAL AND INITIATED A SEARCH. THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND ABOUT 4 HOURS AFTER THE SEARCH WAS INITIATED. GROUND SCARS AND THE WRECKAGE EXAMINATION DISCLOSED THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE UPWARD SLOPING TERRAIN IN A WINGS & NOSE LEVEL ATTITUDE. THE EXAMINATION FURTHER DISCLOSED NO EVIDENCE OF ANY AIRPLANE COMPONENT MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

PILOT FAILED TO EXECUTE A 180 DEGREE TURN AND INADVERTENTLY ENTERED INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 5/5/1989
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 2015
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City PORT SAN LUIS
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 93401
Event Date Year 1989
Event Date Month 5
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 --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Witness
Time of the weather observation 0
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Obscured
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 1
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 16
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Calm
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) --
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 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 987
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date May 6 1989 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 645
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 39218
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 12:40PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N6301M
NTSB Number LAX89FA181
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 None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 152
Aircraft Series Identifier 152
Aircraft Serial Number 15284662
Certified Max Gross Weight 1600
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 2
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Dec 3 1988 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 34
Airframe Hours 4776
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Yes
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name ZEMAN, RONALD
Aircraft Owner Street Address 3860 S HIGUERA ST #201
Aircraft Owner City SAN LUIS
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 93401
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name CAL-COAST FLYERS, INC.
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address SAN LUIS OBISPO AIRPORT
Operator City SAN LUIS OBISPO
Operator State CA
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 Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code SBP
Departure City SAN LUIS OBISPO
Departure State CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 2006
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 Maneuvering
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --