# Accident 19890328004849A: Cessna 172M, Santa Barbara, CA, March 28, 1989

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 28, 1989, 13:53 local time
- Place: Santa Barbara, CA
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Unauth Low Level Opns
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.4093° N, 119.6997° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.4093&lon=-119.6997&mi=10
- Aircraft: N20356, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N20356-2013-07-01) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 172M (registry code 2072418, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172m) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172M
- Reported engine: LYC O320E2G
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 70 total, 48 in this make and model, 30 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX89LA139](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX89LA139) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19890328004849A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

OBSERVED LOW OVER WATER STRUCK WATER BOUNCED, THEN LANDED IN WATER. BLAMED ENGINE PROBLEM. UNDETERMINED.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB LAX89LA139](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX89LA139), Mar 28, 1989: Cessna 172 (N20356), Santa Barbara, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: THE IMPROPER INFLIGHT PLANNING/DECISIONS BY THE PLT WHEN HE DECIDED TO INTENTIONALLY FLY LOW OVER ROUGH WATER IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN AND THE PARTIAL LOSS OF POWER FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.