# Incident 19971209043429I: Cessna 172N, Santa Paula, CA, December 9, 1997

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 9, 1997
- Place: Santa Paula, CA
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.3549° N, 119.0663° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Santa Paula, CA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.3549&lon=-119.0663&mi=10
- Aircraft: N4804G (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172N
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19971209043429I

## Narrative

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

NARRATIVE: MR. ROBERT GATE, I'M WRITING TO YOU PER YOUR REQUEST. MY NAME IS KEVIN HOWE LICENSE #C6312116. I CURRENTLY RENT FROM PACIFIC AVIATION IN SANTA BARBARA. ON DEC. 9TH, 1997, I RENTED A C172 N4804G FROM PACIFIC AVIATION. TWO FRIENDS AND MYSELF SET OUT FOR A SIGHT SEEING FLIGHT. WE FLEW OVER BALIGER CANYON AND THEN WENT TO GORMAN VALLEY. AT GORMAN VALLEY I MADE AN OFF AIRPORT LANDING ON A PAVED ROAD IN THE OFF HIGHWAY VEHICLE PARK. WE LANDED TO RELIEVE OURSELVES. WE DEPARTED ABOUT FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER. UPON DEPARTURE WE ENCOUNTERED DOWN DRAFTS THAT MADE US USE EVERY BIT OF THE 2500' STRAIGHT AWAY I CHOSE. AT THE END OF THE FIELD WAS A 8' TALL BUSH WE JUST DIDN'T QUITE CLEAR BEFORE CLIMBING OUT AND DEPARTING THE AREA. THIS BUSH BROKE BOTH FRONT & RIGHT SIDE WHEEL FAIRINGS, AND DENTED THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. I FLEW STRAIGHT TO SANTA PAULA AIRPORT TO ASSESS THE DAMAGE. WE TIED DOWN THE AIRPLANE AND I CALLED FOR A RIDE TO PICK US UP. I ALSO CALLED PACIFIC AVIATION TO INFORM THEM OF THE INCIDENT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES, NEITHER IN THE PLANE NOR OUT. I REALIZE HOW FOOLISH I WAS AND HAVE ALREADY PAID FOR THE DAMAGE. I HOPE THIS IS WHAT YOU WANTED AS FAR AS A DESCRIPTION. IF NOT PLEASE WRITE OR CALL ME BACK WITH ANY OTHER REQUEST YOU MAY HAVE. HUMBLY, KEVIN HOWE.

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.

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