Piper PA-28-181 accident near Missing Acft, California, December 6, 1992
On December 6, 1992 at about 8:14 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N81453, was destroyed in an accident near Missing Acft, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
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
- December 6, 1992 · about 8:14 pm local time
- Place
- Missing Acft, California
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N81453 · no longer on the register · serial 28-8090216
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ON DECEMBER 6, 1992 AT 1054 HOURS, THE PILOT TELEPHONED RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA FAA FLIGHT SERVICE STATION (FSS) AND REQUESTED A WEATHER BRIEFING FOR HIS INTENDED FLIGHT FROM HIS DEPARTURE AIRFIELD TO HIS DESTINATION. THE FSS BRIEFER TOLD THE PILOT THAT VISUAL FLIGHT RULES FLIGHTS WERE NOT RECOMMENDED FROM HIS INTENDED DEPARTURE LOCATION TO HIS DESTINATION. THE PILOT ASKED IF THE WEATHER WAS GOING TO IMPROVE OR GET WORSE. THE FSS BRIEFER SAID THE WEATHER WOULD CONTINUALLY GET WORSE THROUGHOUT THE DAY. THE PILOT DECIDED TO GO AHEAD WITH HIS PLANNED FLIGHT. THE PILOT, WITH HIS 3 PASSENGERS ABOARD, WAS CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF AT 1203 HOURS. THE PILOT CONTACTED FAA DEPARTURE CONTROL AND RECEIVED ADVISORIES UNTIL RADAR SERVICE WAS TERMINATED AT 1214 HOURS. NO FURTHER TRANSMISSIONS WERE RECORDED FROM THE PILOT. WHEN THE AIRPLANE AND ITS OCCUPANTS DID NOT ARRIVE AT ITS DESTINATION FAMILY MEMBERS NOTIFIED LOCAL AUTHORITIES. A SEARCH WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE DAMAGE AND INJURY CLASSIFICATION ARE PRESUMED.
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: foreign licence, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 260 hours in all; 25 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,851 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 2, 1992; 75 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: West Valley Flying Club
The flight
- Departed from: SBA Santa Barbara CA at 9:04 pm
- Destination: PAO Palo Alto CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,800 ft; scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:50 pm from SBA, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.