Piper PA-28-235 accident near San Luis Obispo, California, March 27, 1987
On March 27, 1987 at about 10:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-235, registered N9306W, was substantially damaged in an accident near San Luis Obispo, California (San Luis Obispo airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 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
- March 27, 1987 · about 10:15 pm local time
- Place
- San Luis Obispo, California · San Luis Obispo
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-235 · all PA-28-235s on the register
- Registration
- N9306W · no longer on the register · serial 28-10985
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER TAKE-OFF, THE PILOT WAS FLYING A DOWNWIND DEPARTURE WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO RETURN TO THE RUNWAY AND COLLIDED WITH THE TERRAIN A HALF MILE FROM THE AIRPORT. INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT FOUND THAT THE MAIN FUEL LINE TO THE CARBURETOR CONTAINED NO FUEL. THE LEFT TIP TANK WAS FOUND TO CONTAIN A QUARTER OF A TANK OF FUEL, THE LEFT MAIN WAS THREE QUARTERS FULL, THE RIGHT MAIN WAS FULL AND THE RIGHT TIP WAS EMPTY. THE PILOT STATED HE WAS FLYING ON THE LEFT MAIN. THERE WAS NO OTHER DISCREPANCIES NOTED AT THAT TIME. THE ENGINE WAS THEN RUN FOR SEVERAL MINUTES AT DIFFERENT POWER SETTINGS, THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL FAILURES OR MALFUNCTIONS NOTED.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 252 hours in all; 66 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 200 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,560 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 5, 1987; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-B4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SBP San Luis Obispo CA at 9:50 pm
- Destination: SEE San Diego CA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 29, 4,799 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:10 pm from SBP, 1 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.