Cessna 177RG accident near San Luis Obispo, California, September 8, 1988
On September 8, 1988 at about 3:39 am local time, a Cessna 177RG, registered N33283, was destroyed in an accident near San Luis Obispo, California (San Luis Obispo airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
PILOTS ERRONEOUS INTERPRETATION OF HIS MISSED APPROACH CLEARANCE, AND, HIS PERFORMANCE OF THE PUBLISHED MISSED APPROACH PROCEDURE FOR THE SANTA MARIA ILS INSTEAD OF THE SAN LUIS OBISPO LOCALIZER.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 8, 1988 · about 3:39 am local time
- Place
- San Luis Obispo, California · San Luis Obispo · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177RG · all 177RGs on the register
- Registration
- N33283 · no longer on the register · serial 177RG0942
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE ENROUTE IFR TO SANTA BARBARA THE WX CONDITIONS WENT BELOW MINIMUMS. THE PLT FIRST ASKED ABOUT SANTA MARIA (SMX) AS AN ALTERNATE BUT THE WX WAS BELOW MINIMUMS AS WELL. THE PLT THEN SELECTED SAN LUIS OBISPO (SBP) FOR HIS ALTERNATE DEST. RADAR DATA SHOWED THE ACFT WAS HIGH DURING THE LOCALIZER APPROACH TO SBP AND PASSED OVER THE AIRPORT AT 2,600 FT MSL (2,300 AGL). THE CONTROLLER ISSUED A CLIMB TO 5,000 FT AND TOLD THE PLT TO EXECUTE THE MISSED APPROACH AS PUBLISHED. THERE WAS CONFUSION ABOUT THE INSTRUCTION. THE PLT STATED 'MISSED APPROACH AS PUBLISHED,' TO WHICH THE CONTROLLER RESPONDED 'AFFIRMATIVE'. RADAR DATA SHOWED THE ACFT DESCENDED TO 2,200 FT, WHERE RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST. ON SITE EXAM REVEALED THE ACFT HIT THE TOP OF A HILL IN A LEVEL STD RATE TURN TO THE LEFT. TWO APPROACH PLATES WERE ON THE PLTS CLIPBOARD, THE SMX ILS & THE SBP LOCALIZER. THE SMX MISSED APPROACH SPECIFIES A CLIMBING LEFT TURN TO 2,000 BACK TO THE VOR. BOTH APPROACH PLATES LOOK SIMILIAR.
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, foreign licence
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 551 hours in all; 5 in this make and model; 36 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 404 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,359 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 1987; 92 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MRY Monterey CA at 2:07 am
- Destination: SBA Santa Barbara CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 11, 4,799 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 300° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 700 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:45 am from SBP, 6 miles away
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.
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.