Fairchild Swearingen SA-226TC accident near Santa Barbara, California, October 31, 1986
On October 31, 1986 at about 3:35 am local time, a Fairchild Swearingen SA-226TC, registered N137WW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Santa Barbara, California (Santa Barbara airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries; 11 others were unhurt. 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 31, 1986 · about 3:35 am local time
- Place
- Santa Barbara, California · Santa Barbara · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries; 11 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Fairchild Swearingen SA-226TC
- Registration
- N137WW · no longer on the register · serial TC-401
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ON A DARK NIGHT, IN CAVU WEATHER, THE CAPTAIN DIRECTED THE FIRST OFFICER (WHO WAS FLYING) TO DISARM THE LANDING GEAR WARNING HORN SYSTEM BY PULLING ITS CIRCUIT BREAKER. THE F/O COMPLIED & DID NOT CHALLENGE THE CAPTAIN. ON FINAL APPROACH THE F/O FAILED TO CHECK THAT HIS 'GEAR DOWN' COMMAND WAS COMPLIED WITH & THE CAPTAIN FORGOT TO LOWER THE GEAR. AS THE ACFT SLID TO A STOP ON ITS BELLY THE RIGHT ENGINE'S 3 PROP BLADES FRAGMENTED & PUNCTURED THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. THE 2 PAX WHO WERE SEATED IN ROW 2 ABEAM THE BLADES' PLANE OF ROTATION WERE STRUCK BY FRAGMENTS & RECEIVED SERIOUS LEG & MINOR FACIAL LACERATIONS.
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; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,485 hours in all; 2,292 in this make and model; 262 in the last 90 days; 83 in the last 30 days; 8,900 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,024 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme; 27 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 13,230 lb
- Seats: 18
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPE331-10-VA (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Wings West Airlines, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: LAX Los Angeles CA at 3:12 am
- Destination: SBA Santa Barbara CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 25, 6,049 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 010° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:37 am from SBA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 2 | 9 |
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.