Summary
On April 08, 1998, a Cessna 172N (N6417J) was involved in an incident near Santa Barbara, CA. All 2 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's misjudging the landing flare and subsequent hard landing.
On April 8, 1998, at 1645 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N6417J, sustained substantial damage while landing at the Santa Barbara, California, airport. The private pilot and passenger, the sole occupants, were not injured. The personal flight originated at the Van Nuys, California, airport, at 1535, and an IFR flight plan was filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed along the route of flight.
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector from the Van Nuys, California, Flight Standards District Office interviewed the pilot. The inspector stated that the pilot reported that he made a hard landing on runway 25, then taxied the aircraft off the runway and noticed that the nose gear strut was collapsed and the nose wheel tire was flat.
This incident is documented in NTSB report LAX98LA201. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N6417J.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's misjudging the landing flare and subsequent hard landing.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
On April 8, 1998, at 1645 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N6417J, sustained substantial damage while landing at the Santa Barbara, California, airport. The private pilot and passenger, the sole occupants, were not injured. The personal flight originated at the Van Nuys, California, airport, at 1535, and an IFR flight plan was filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed along the route of flight.
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector from the Van Nuys, California, Flight Standards District Office interviewed the pilot. The inspector stated that the pilot reported that he made a hard landing on runway 25, then taxied the aircraft off the runway and noticed that the nose gear strut was collapsed and the nose wheel tire was flat. The pilot reported that the winds at the time of the accident were from 260 degrees at 10 knots.
After the accident, the aircraft operator was contacted and authorized replacement of the tire. The mechanic who replaced the tire signed off the aircraft as airworthy, and the aircraft was subsequently flown to its home base in El Monte where the operator inspected it. At that time, it was determined that the extent of the damage was more severe than first reported. An FAA inspector from the Los Angeles Flight Standards District Office inspected the aircraft and found a distorted firewall and boot cowl.
This was reported as an incident on April 8, 1998, and was upgraded to an accident on June 17, 1998.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# LAX98LA201