# Accident 19971230041269A: Cessna 172RG, Van Nuys, CA, December 30, 1997 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: December 30, 1997, 14:00 local time - Place: Van Nuys, CA - Airport: Van Nuys Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 34.1899° N, 118.4904° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.1899&lon=-118.4904&mi=10 - Aircraft: N5404V (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 172RG - Reported engine: LYC O360F1A6 - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 2,800 total, 75 in this make and model, 90 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX98LA065](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA065) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19971230041269A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. FAILED TO VERIFY GEAR DOWN ON FINAL UNTIL CFI SPOTTED POPPED CB AND PUSHED IT IN TOO LATE. GEAR FOLDED LANDING. (-23) VAN NUYS TOWER CALLED VNY FSDO TO REPORT AN AIRCRAFT LANDED ON THE RUNWAY AND ITS LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED. BRIAN ASHTON, ASI, AND REX HALLESY, ASI, WENT TO THE SCENE AND FOUND AIRCRAFT N5404V, CESSNA 172RT, S/N 172RG0522, RESTING ON THE NOSE WHEEL, RIGHT WING AND RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON RUNWAY 34 LEFT APPROXIMATELY 1500 FEET FROM THE APPROACH END ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE. THE NOSE LANDING GEAR WAS FULLY EXTENDED. THE LEFT AND RIGHT MAIN GEAR WERE PARTIALLY EXTENDED FROM THE WHEEL WELLS (NOT STOWED). VISUAL DAMAGE WAS TO THE RIGHT WING 2 RIBS IN FROM THE TIP, AND THE RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND ELEVATOR ASSEMBLY WERE DAMAGED SUBSTANTIALLY. THE GEAR HANDLE WAS DOWN AND THE LANDING GEAR CIRCUIT BREAKERS WERE IN. THE BATTERY WAS DISCONNECTED PRIOR TO OUR ARRIVAL. THE PILOT IN COMMAND, PAUL WALTER STERNBERG, CFI #393844155, STATED THAT HE WAS ON AN INSTRUCTION FLIGHT WITH A STUDENT, HARUM SONODA, EE2053619, FOR APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS. THE STUDENT WAS FLYING THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE LEFT SEAT. ON APPROACH TO RUNWAY 34 LEFT THE STUDENT PUT THE LANDING GEAR HANDLE DOWN. THE INSTRUCTOR STATED HE VERIFIED THE GEARDOWN GREEN LIGHT AND VISUALLY CHECKED THE MAIN GEAR WERE IN THE DOWN POSITION. DUE TO OTHER TRAFFIC, THE TOWER INSTRUCTED THEM TO GO AROUND FOR ANOTHER APPROACH. THE GEAR WAS RETRACTED AND THE GO AROUND WAS COMPLETED. ON THE NEXT APPROACH THE INSTRUCTOR NOTED THAT THE STUDENT PUT THE GEAR HANDLE DOWN, BUT STATED HE DID NOT VERIFY THE GEARDOWN LIGHT NOR DID HE VISUALLY CHECK THE MAIN GEAR FOR EXTENSION. AT SOME POINT IN THE LANDING, THE INSTRUCTOR SENSED SOMETHING NOT RIGHT, LOOKED DOWN AND NOTED THE CIRCUIT BREAKER FOR THE LDG GEAR WAS POPPED. HE RESET THE BREAKER. FOLLOWING THIS WAS A WARNING HORN AND THEN THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED ONTO THE RUNWAY AND SLID TO A STOP. NEITHER PILOT WAS INJURED. PERSONNEL FROM SILVA AVIATION, VAN NUYS AIRPORT, RECOVERED THE AIRCRAFT USING JACKS. ONCE THE AIRCRAFT WAS HIGH ENOUGH OFF THE GROUND THE MAIN LANDING GEAR WAS EXTENDED USING THE HAND PUMP AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOWED TO JETSET AVIATION, VAN NUYS AIRPORT, THE OPERATORS BASE. ## 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 LAX98LA065](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA065), Dec 30, 1997: Cessna 172RG (N5404V), Van Nuys, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The student and flight instructor's failure to verify that the landing gear was in the down position, and the design of the electrical system in which a single-point aircraft system malfunction (one… 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.