Piper PA28 accident near Santa Barbara, California, January 12, 2020
On January 12, 2020 at about 4:10 am local time, a 1981 Piper PA28, registered N8408E, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (to runway) near Santa Barbara, California (Santa Barbara Muni airport). It was a personal 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
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a parked airplane during taxi operations at night.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 12, 2020 · about 4:10 am local time
- Place
- Santa Barbara, California · Santa Barbara Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28 161, built 1981 · all PA28s on the register
- Registration
- N8408E · registry record · serial 28-8116259
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, upon receiving clearance to taxi from air traffic control, he proceeded to taxi onto what he thought was the centerline of the taxiway in nighttime conditions. During the taxi, the airplane suddenly turned right. The pilot stopped the airplane and thought something on the ground had made "the wheel turn." He looked at the right wing but noticed nothing abnormal. After the airplane was airborne, the pilot saw that part of the right wingtip was separated. The pilot continued the flight and landed uneventfully at his destination. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the right wing had sustained substantive structural damage. A portion of the airplane's right wingtip was found underneath a damaged wing on an unoccupied airplane that was parked adjacent to the taxiway. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Ground collision during taxi (to runway) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Aircraft › Effect on operation
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Dark › Effect on personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 104.3 hours in all; 28 in this make and model; 36.9 in the last 90 days; 20.7 in the last 30 days; 43.2 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 19, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot-Rated Passenger
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 213.1 hours in all; 93.6 in this make and model; 70.9 in the last 90 days; 26.6 in the last 30 days; 108.1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 18,991 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 30, 2019; 32 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,440 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2A (piston); 10,505 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SBA Santa Barbara CA
- Destination: LBG Long Beach CA
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 am from KSBA, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on March 10, 2020. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Passenger Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo Array | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.