Piper PA-28-140 accident near Lompoc, California, September 30, 1993
On September 30, 1993 at about 11:48 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N430FL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lompoc, California (Lompoc airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
was fuel starvation. A factor in the accident was the mechanic's inadequate inspection of the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 30, 1993 · about 11:48 pm local time
- Place
- Lompoc, California · Lompoc · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N430FL · no longer on the register · serial 28-7125213
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, during initial climb on the maintenance test flight the airplane gained between 250 and 300 feet altitude when the engine backfired two times and quit. The pilot stated that he turned the airplane to avoid colliding with obstacles and crashed into a plowed wet field. Exam of the airframe and engine did not reveal any mechanical failures. Fuel was found in both fuel tanks and the fuel pumps were found functional. No fuel was found in the carburetor. Prior to the accident flight, the pilot, who was also an A & P mechanic, had performed maintenance on the airplane. The last annual inspection had been completed over seven years earlier, and the airplane had not been flown since that time.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 350 hours in all; 75 in this make and model; 300 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 3,600 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 5 knots, gusting 8
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 39°F (4°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.
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.