Swearingen SA226-T accident near San Francisco, California, December 7, 1982
On December 7, 1982 at about 7:56 pm local time, a Swearingen SA226-T, registered N4273X, was substantially damaged in an accident near San Francisco, California (San Francisco Intl. airport). It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 7, 1982 · about 7:56 pm local time
- Place
- San Francisco, California · San Francisco Intl. · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Swearingen SA226-T · all SA226-Ts on the register
- Registration
- N4273X · no longer on the register · serial T-268
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING ARRIVAL, THE WINDS WERE REPORTED FROM 350 TO 360 DEG AT 20 GUSTING 25 KTS, AND WHILE LANDING, THEY WERE FROM 360 DEG AT 21 KTS. THE ACFT'S MAX DEMO X-WIND CAPABILITY WAS 22 KTS. THE PLT REPORTED THAT DURING THE LANDING, THE POWER LEVERS WERE RETARDED TO IDLE, THEN TO REVERSE. WHILE ENTERING REVERSE, THE ACFT SWERVED TO THE LEFT, AWAY FROM THE X-WIND. THE PLT THEN ADVANCED THE THROTTLES OUT OF REVERSE TO LESS THAN FLT IDLE. AT THAT TIME, THE ACFT SWERVED TO THE RIGHT. THE POWER LEVERS WERE AGAIN REVERSED & BRAKES WERE APPLIED. HOWEVER, THE ACFT VEERED OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RWY. IT CONTINUED INTO MUD, THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED & BOTH PROPS WERE DAMAGED. THE PLT DID NOT FEATHER THE ENGS UNTIL AFTER BOTH PROPS HAD STOPPED TURNING. THE RIGHT PROP WAS FOUND IN THE FULL FEATHERED POSITION, THE LEFT PROP HAD NOT FEATHERED. REMOVAL OF THE RIGHT PROP DOME REVEALED NO APPARENT ABNORMALITIES OR INTERNAL DAMAGE. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT THE LEFT PROP HAD GONE BEYOND FULL REVERSE ON IMPACT. NO PREIMPACT FAILURE WAS FOUND.
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; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 7,053 hours in all; 265 in this make and model; 75 in the last 90 days; 38 in the last 30 days; 6,566 as pilot in command; 1,188 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,570 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 46 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 12,500 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Airesearch TPE-3313U303G (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: United Faith Foundation, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: FAT Fresno CA at 11:12 am
- Destination: Birmingham AL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 28R, 11,870 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 21 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 133°F (56°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:56 am from SFO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.