Piper PA-23-250 accident near Santa Barbara, California, October 4, 1985
On October 4, 1985 at about 3:40 am local time, a Piper PA-23-250, registered N6726Y, was involved in an accident near Santa Barbara, California. It was a business 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 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
- October 4, 1985 · about 3:40 am local time
- Place
- Santa Barbara, California
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23-250 · all PA-23-250s on the register
- Registration
- N6726Y · no longer on the register · serial 27-4058
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ON OCT. 3, 1985, PIPTER PA-23-250 CRASHED INTO THE PACIFIC OCEAN WHILE ON AN AIR SAMPLING FLT NEAR SANTA BARBARA, CA. THE AC WAS DESTROYED AND THE TWO PLTS WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE FLT WAS TO BE FLOWN ALONG A PREDERMINED ROUTE UTILIZING LORAN NAVAIDS. THE AC OPERATOR WAS SURE THE WAY PLTS WERE CORRECT AND WERE ENTERED PROPERLY. THE AC WAS IN RADIO CONTACT WITH SANTA BARBARA APPROACH CONTROL AND REPORTED NO DIFFICULTIES. A REVIEW OF THIS INFO BY THE OPERATOR INDICATED THE AC WAS ON COURSE AS SCHEDULED.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 24,290 hours in all; 144 in the last 90 days; 85 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,784 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 2, 1985; 47 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-C4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Not recorded
The flight
- Departed from: CMA Camarillo CA at 2:02 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:00 am from SBA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.