Piper PA 34-200T accident near Red Bluff, California, January 7, 1991
On January 7, 1991 at about 2:35 am local time, a Piper PA 34-200T, registered N66SL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Red Bluff, California (Red Bluff airport). It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT IN COMMAND TO DETECT A DESCENT BELOW THE MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE FOR THE APPROACH IN USE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 7, 1991 · about 2:35 am local time
- Place
- Red Bluff, California · Red Bluff · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 34-200T · all PA 34-200Ts on the register
- Registration
- N66SL · registry record · serial 34-8070038
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT SAID THE FLIGHT WAS NORMAL UNTIL ESTABLISHED ON THE VOR APPROACH. AFTER THE AIRCRAFT COMPLETED THE PROCEDURE TURN AND WAS INBOUND TO THE VOR THE PILOT NOTICED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESCENDING THROUGH ABOUT 1,300 FEET MSL (1,000 FEET AGL) AND THAT THE DESCENT RATE WAS STABALIZED AND WAS SUFFICIENT TO MAKE THE CROSSING RESTRICTION AT THE VOR. THE PILOT STATED THAT SHE THEN SCANNED THE VOR NAVIGATION HEADS 'FOR A FEW SECONDS' TO CROSS CHECK THE AIRCRAFT POSITION ON THE APPROACH COURSE RADIAL. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE AIRCRAFT FLEW INTO LEVEL TERRAIN ABOUT 1.5 MILES SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,925 hours in all; 446 in this make and model; 163 in the last 90 days; 34 in the last 30 days; 1,784 as pilot in command; 845 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,570 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TS10-360EB (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Shasta Livestock, INC
The flight
- Departed from: RDM Redmond OR
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 33, 5,984 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Sky: overcast at 700 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 2:51 am from RBL, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N66SL 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.