Piper PA-32R-301T accident near Santa Barbara, CA
On November 11, 2004, a Piper PA-32R-301T (airplane) was involved in an accident near Santa Barbara, CA. 3 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- November 11, 2004
- Place
- Santa Barbara, CA
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32R-301T · Airplane
- Injuries
- 3 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 34.699°N, 119.659°W
- NTSB ID
- 20041119X01844
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On November 10, 2004, about 2201 Pacific standard time, a Piper PA-32R-301T (Saratoga), N803ZG, cruised into rising mountainous terrain about 17 nautical miles (nm) north of Santa Barbara, California. J. P. III, Enterprises, Inc., owned and operated the airplane, which was piloted by its owner. The airplane was destroyed during multiple impacts with trees and terrain, and by the post impact ground fire. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the vicinity of the accident site, located in the Dick Smith wilderness area of the Los Padres National Forest. The flight was performed under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91, and no flight plan had been filed. The non-instrument rated private pilot and two passengers were fatally injured during the dark nighttime business flight. One of the passengers was a non-certificated student pilot. The flight originated from Bakersfield, California, at 2137. During the flight the pilot was returning to his home-base airport. At 2129, the pilot of N803ZG contacted the Meadows Field Air Traffic Control Tower in Bakersfield, and he advised the controller that he intended to fly to Santa Barbara. The pilot indicated that he planned to fly under visual flight rules (VFR) and that he had received the airport's terminal information service (ATIS) broadcast information. At 2136:51, the controller cleared the pilot to takeoff from runway 30R. About 3 minutes later the airplane was radar identified on its assigned transponder squawk code. The Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) recorded radar data indicates that the airplane
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to select and maintain an adequate terrain avoidance cruise altitude. Contributing factors were the dark nighttime conditions, the rising mountainous terrain, and the Federal Aviation Administration controller's failure to issue a terrain-related safety alert.
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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
