Piper PA-38-112 accident near Oceano, California, August 18, 1991
On August 18, 1991 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-38-112, registered N2526C, was destroyed in an accident near Oceano, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
UNKNOWN. THE MAIN AIRPLANE WRECKAGE AND THE BODY OF THE PILOT ARE PRESUMED LOST AT SEA.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 18, 1991 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Oceano, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-38-112 · all PA-38-112s on the register
- Registration
- N2526C · no longer on the register · serial 38-79A0217
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT'S TAKEOFF WAS NOT OBSERVED FROM THE UNCONTROLLED AIRPORT, AND THE ACFT'S OWNER/PILOT DID NOT RECEIVE ANY SERVICES FROM AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL DURING THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT. WHEN THE PILOT'S SON, WHO WAS ON BOARD THE ACFT, FAILED TO RETURN HOME HIS FAMILY BECAME CONCERNED AND A SEARCH COMMENCED. THREE DAYS LATER HIS BODY WASHED UP ON A PACIFIC OCEAN BEACH, ABOUT NINE MILES SOUTH OF WHERE THE ACFT HAD BEEN BASED AND WAS LAST OBSERVED. NEAR THE BODY, A WHEEL AND A SEAT CUSHION WERE ALSO FOUND. THE TIME OF THE ACFT ACCIDENT WAS NOT DETERMINED, NO ADDITIONAL WRECKAGE HAS BEEN LOCATED, AND THE BODY OF THE OWNER/PILOT REMAINS MISSING. TOXICOLOGICAL EVIDENCE FROM THE SON'S BODY DID NOT INDICATE THE PRESENCE OF CYANIDE OR CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING. THE FATHER AND SON OCCUPANTS OF THE ACFT BOTH POSSESSED EXPIRED STUDENT PILOT CERTIFICATES. THE ACFT HAD BEEN MAINTAINED ON AN ANNUAL INSPECTION PROGRAM, AND THE ELT'S BATTERY REPLACEMENT DATE WAS CURRENT. NO ELT SIGNAL WAS RECEIVED.
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: student
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 15, 1991
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: L52 Oceano CA at 7:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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 N2526C 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.