Cessna T303 accident near Santa Maria, California, April 14, 1987
On April 14, 1987 at about 5:45 pm local time, a Cessna T303, registered N2225C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Santa Maria, California (Santa Maria Public airport). It was a business 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
- April 14, 1987 · about 5:45 pm local time
- Place
- Santa Maria, California · Santa Maria Public · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T303 · all T303s on the register
- Registration
- N2225C · registry record · serial T30300070
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A CESSNA T303 COLLIDED W THE LOC ANTENNA AFT A TOTAL LOSS OF PWR IN BOTH ENGS WHILE ON FINAL APP TO RWY 30. THE PLT INDICATED THAT THE ENGS FAILED DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. THE FLT MADE 5 STOPS TO PICK-UP AND DROP OFF CARGO AND IS NORMALLY FLOWN DAILY BY DIFFERENT PLTS. THE ACFT IS NOT REFUELED AT THE DEPT POINT WHERE IT IS BASED BUT RATHER AT AN INTERMEDIATE STOP. AS A RESULT OF THIS PROCEDURE, THE ACFT IS NOT FULLY FUELED PRIOR TO THE DAYS FLT AND THE FUEL LEVEL CAN ONLY BE ESTIMATED BY VISUAL INSPECTION DURING PREFLT. THE PLT HAD QUESTIONED THE CHIEF PLT ABT THE PROCEDURE AND THE FUEL LEVEL 2 WEEKS PRIOR AND WAS TOLD IT WAS 'OK'. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE ACFT HAD NOT BEEN REFUELED THE PRECEEDING DAY AT THE INTERMEDIATE STOP. THE PLT STATED THAT AFT LOWERING THE GEAR ON FINAL APP, THE ACFT LOST 150 TO 200 FEET AND COLLIDED W THE ANTENNA.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,965 hours in all; 51 in this make and model; 279 in the last 90 days; 86 in the last 30 days; 1,756 as pilot in command; 1,658 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 580 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 25, 1987; 98 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,175 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-AE (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BFL Bakersfield CA at 5:00 pm
- Destination: SMX Santa Maria CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 6,300 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 25,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:23 pm from SMX
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.
Other NTSB records under N2225C the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.