Piper PA-34-200 accident near Carpenteria, California, March 17, 1993
On March 17, 1993 at about 7:40 am local time, a Piper PA-34-200, registered N55334, was destroyed in an accident near Carpenteria, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 6 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
UNDETERMINED.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 17, 1993 · about 7:40 am local time
- Place
- Carpenteria, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 6 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34-200 · all PA-34-200s on the register
- Registration
- N55334 · registry record · serial 34-7350202
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLIGHT DEPARTED FROM AN AIRPORT ABOUT 2307, AFTER THE CONTROL TOWER CLOSED. THE PILOT HAD OBTAINED A BRIEFING FROM FSS PRIOR TO DEPARTURE; NO SIGNIFICANT WEATHER WAS REPORTED FOR THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT OR THE DESTINATION AIRPORT. RECONSTRUCTED RADAR DATA INDICATED THE AIRPLANE FLEW TO THE SOUTH, AND THEN MADE A TURN TO THE NORTHWEST. THE RADAR DATA SHOWED WHAT IS THOUGHT TO BE THE AIRPLANE IN LEVEL FLIGHT FOR SEVERAL MILES. AT A POINT ABOUT 35 MI FROM THE PROBABLE LOCATION OF IMPACT WITH THE OCEAN, RADAR DATA SHOWS THE AIRPLANE BEGAN A DESCENT OF ABOUT 300 FEET PER MINUTE UNTIL IT DISAPPEARED FROM RADAR ABOUT 1 MI OFFSHORE. THE NEXT MORNING, CREWMEMBERS FROM A COMMERCIAL BOAT FOUND AIRPLANE DEBRIS FLOATING IN THE WATER.
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; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 782 hours in all; 63 in this make and model; 101 in the last 90 days; 60 in the last 30 days; 735 as pilot in command; 312 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,900 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 24, 1993
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-C1E6 (piston); 0 hours total
- Not recorded
The flight
- Departed from: VNY Van Nuys CA at 7:07 am
- Destination: SBA Santa Barbara CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 030° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 15,000 ft; not recorded at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
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.