Cessna 172M accident near Santa Maria, California, March 23, 1994
On March 23, 1994 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N13620, was destroyed in an accident near Santa Maria, California. It was a personal flight 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
AN ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO THE IMPROPER INSTALLATION AND SERVICE OF AN INCORRECT MODEL MAGNETO BY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL, AND THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND TO FOLLOW PUBLISHED AIRPLANE EMERGENCY PROCEDURES.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 23, 1994 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Santa Maria, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N13620 · no longer on the register · serial 17262888
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCRAFT LOST ENGINE POWER AND COLLIDED WITH TREES IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. THE PILOT REPORTED THE LOSS OF POWER WAS GRADUAL WITH ENGINE ROUGHNESS. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE BUT DID NOT MANIPULATE THE MAGNETO SWITCH AS OUTLINED IN THE PILOT OPERATING HANDBOOK AMPLIFIED EMERGENCY PROCEDURES. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE MAGNETOS REVEALED THE LEFT MAGNETO INTERNAL TIMING WAS INCORRECT. THE BREAKER POINT CAM AND CAM FOLLOWER WERE FOUND WORN. A SLICK MODEL 4201-R MAGNETO IS NOT AN APPROVED INSTALLATION ON LYCOMING ENGINES. MAINTENANCE RECORDS DID NOT SHOW THAT NEW OR OVERHAULED MAGNETOS WERE INSTALLED AT THE TIME OF THE ENGINE OVERHAUL OR REPLACED AFTER THE ENGINE WAS OVERHAULED. REVIEW OF THE ENGINE LOGBOOK INDICATED THE MAGNETO TIMING WAS ADJUSTED ABOUT 78 FLIGHT HOURS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT AT THE LAST 100-HOUR INSPECTION.
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: 180 hours in all; 70 in this make and model; 55 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 128 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,015 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 30, 1993; 78 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Horizon Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: SBA Santa Barbara CA at 10:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 18,000 ft; scat at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:00 pm from SMX, 37 miles away
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 N13620 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.