Piper PA-32R-300 N4303X

Summary

On 7 June 1996 at about 17:43 local time, a Piper PA-32R-300 registered N4303X, operated by E.madson, L.colvin, C.voorhis, was involved in an accident near Goleta, California, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

7 June 1996 at 17:43

Classification

Accident

Location

Goleta, California, United States

Nearest airport

Santa Barbara Municipal (SBA)

Coordinates

34.4999, -120.1192

Aircraft

Piper PA-32R-300

Registration

N4303X

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

E.madson, L.colvin, C.voorhis

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Santa Ynez → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX96FA226

2 people died.

failure of the flying pilot to maintain control of the airplane, due to spatial disorientation, which resulted in an uncontrolled descent and collision with the water. Factors relating to the accident were: the lack of recent instrument experience by the flying pilot and the lack of monitoring (and/or remedial action) by the other pilot.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

Two instrument-rated pilots departed for a planned 24-mile instrument flight. About 5 minutes after takeoff, one of the pilots contacted the radar controller and requested an instrument landing clearance. The controller cleared the pilot for an ILS runway 7 approach to Santa Barbara. When the airplane was about 1 mile west of the final approach fix, it had descended to 1,500 feet. The published glide slope altitude for the fix was 1,774 feet. At 1042, as the airplane was still inbound toward the final approach fix, it reversed course, then it proceeded in a westerly and then a northerly direction. Radar data showed that the airplane then descend through 1,100 feet on a northeasterly heading. A low altitude alert alarm sounded in the ATC control room, and radar contact was lost. (Note: the pilots had not reported any abnormal condition with the airplane or equipment, nor was a safety advisory (alert) transmitted to the airplane.) A witness observed that the airplane came out of clouds in a steep descent and impacted the water at a high rate of speed. He estimated the visibility was 2 miles in fog. Wreckage was recovered, and no mechanical malfunction was found. A review of the pilots' logbooks and airplane utilization records revealed that neither pilot met the FAA instrument flight currency requirements.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.