Piper PA 32-300 accident near San Luis Obispo, California, April 6, 1983
On April 6, 1983, a Piper PA 32-300, registered N15278, was substantially damaged in an accident near San Luis Obispo, California (San Luis Obispo airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. 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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 6, 1983
- Place
- San Luis Obispo, California · San Luis Obispo
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 32-300 · all PA 32-300s on the register
- Registration
- N15278 · registry record · serial 7340030
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT DEPARTED RWY 29, & AT ABOUT 200 FT AGL THE ENG WAS HEARD TO SPUTTER & SURGE. THE ACFT WAS THEN OBSERVED IN A STEEP LEFT BANK TOWARD RWY 7. THE WINGS LEVELED JUST PRIOR TO IMPACT ABOUT 100 FT SHORT OF RWY 7. ARPT POLICE PERSONNEL INSPECTED THE ACFT IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE ACCIDENT & FOUND THE FUEL SELECTOR POSITIONED TO THE LEFT TIP TANK. THE LEFT TIP TANK WAS EMPTY & BOTH MAINS WERE FULL. THE PLT STATED HE HAD SWITCHED THE FUEL TANK TO LEFT MAIN PRIOR TO TAKEOFF.
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: 2,843 hours in all; 16 in this make and model; 52 in the last 90 days; 2,844 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,134 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 22, 1982; 9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: SBA Santa Barbara CA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 7, 4,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,500 ft; clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:40 pm from SBP
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N15278 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX83LA178.