Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/mush and hard landing. A factor in the accident was the gusty wind.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
On November 10, 2002, at 1639 Pacific standard time, a Cessna 182Q, N735ZT, made a hard landing at Whiteman Field, Pacoima, California. The 3D Aircraft Corporation was operating the rental airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The personal cross-country flight departed Palm Springs, California, about 1500, en route to Pacoima. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.
The pilot stated that the winds were high and there was a slight crosswind. He was on short final for runway 30 when the airplane dropped hard to the runway. There was not any visible damage to the airplane, but firewall damage was later discovered by a mechanic.
At 1630, the Aviation Routine Weather Report (METAR) for Burbank Airport (BUR), located about 10 miles southeast of Whiteman Field, reported winds from 320 degrees at 14 knots, gusting to 19 knots.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# LAX03LA046