Piper PA-30 accident near Nipomo, California, February 22, 2003
On February 22, 2003 at about 1:57 am local time, a Piper PA-30, registered N9YB, was substantially damaged in an accident near Nipomo, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the flying pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed that resulted in a stall/spin.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 22, 2003 · about 1:57 am local time
- Place
- Nipomo, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-30 · all PA-30s on the register
- Registration
- N9YB · no longer on the register · serial 30-597
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The multiengine airplane descended in a nose down attitude while spinning and collided with flat level terrain. The accident occurred just after sunset during civil twilight in good visual meteorological conditions. Both occupants were pilots and were ejected during the impact sequence and seating positions could not be determined. A ground witness at the airport reported that he knew the owner and could recognize him on sight; as the airplane traveled by his location he noted that the owner was seated in the right seat. Based on the available information, investigators could not ascertain who was the flying pilot at the time of the accident. No flight plan had been filed, and family and friends of both pilots were not aware that the men had intended to fly that day, nor what the purpose of any flight would have been. The airplane owner held an airline transport pilot certificate with a multiengine rating and certified flight instructor certificate with a single engine rating. The passenger held a private pilot certificate with a single engine land rating. Airborne witnesses observed the accident airplane in turning maneuvers, but noted no apparent problems with the airplane. They did not see the accident occur; however, when they looked back towards the area where the accident airplane had been maneuvering, they observed the flashing lights of fire trucks on the ground. A ground witness reported that he saw an airplane spinning in a nose down attitude out of the corner of his eye. When he looked at the airplane, it made two more tight turns and then dropped out of his line of sight. The next thing he saw was a dust cloud. Both engines were buried into the ground at a 70-degree angle to the horizontal and the fuselage was torsionally twisted to the left over it's entire length. The airframe and engines were inspected with no mechanical anomalies noted that would have precluded normal operation.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,058 hours in all
- Last flight review: February 1, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
Co-pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,079.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 2002; 1,251.1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming IO-320-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming IO-320-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SMX Santa Maria CA at 1:40 am
- Destination: SMX
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 330° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 11:51 pm from SMX, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.