Us/Lta 138-S incident near Santa Maria, California, May 25, 1993
On May 25, 1993 at about 5:15 pm local time, a Us/Lta 138-S (airship), registered N832US, suffered minor damage in an incident near Santa Maria, California. It was a ferry flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
INADEQUATE SPECIFICATIONS IN THE DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE OF A RUDDER CONTROL TUBE ROD END BEARING BY THE AIRSHIP MANUFACTURER.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 25, 1993 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Santa Maria, California · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Us/Lta 138-S
- Registration
- N832US · registry record · serial 002
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRSHIP EXPERIENCE A FRACTURED ROD END BEARING DURING CRUISE FLIGHT. AN ONBOARD MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO MANUALLY MANIPULATE THE CONTROLS UNTIL THE PILOT MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. EXAMINATION OF THE ROD END BEARING REVEALED FATIGUE CRACKS IN THE THREADS AT THE FRACTURE. EXAMINATION OF THE THREADS DISCLOSED THEY WERE NOT ROLLED AFTER THE MACHINING PROCESS. THE MANUFACTURER'S SPECIFICATIONS DID NOT SPECIFY ROLLING IN THE THREADED AREAS. THE MANUFACTURER INDICATED THE BEARING MAY HAVE BEEN BINDING AS A RESULT OF TEFLON IN THE BEARING AREA ADHERING TO THE METAL SURFACE CONTRIBUTING TO THE STRESSES THAT MAY HAVE FATIGUED THE ROD END BEARING.
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
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: airship
- Flight time: 5,227 hours in all; 150 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 30 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 17, 1993; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,900 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K2A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PRB Paso Robles CA at 5:00 pm
- Destination: CNO Chino CA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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 N832US 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.