# Accident 19980408021289A: Cessna 172N, Santa Barbara, CA, April 8, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 8, 1998, 16:45 local time
- Place: Santa Barbara, CA
- Airport: Santa Barbara Municipal
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.4262° N, 119.8415° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at SANTA BARBARA MUNI (SBA), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.4262&lon=-119.8415&mi=10
- Aircraft: N6417J, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N6417J) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 172N (registry code 2072434, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172n) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172N
- Reported engine: LYC O320*
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 241 total, 17 in this make and model, 25 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX98LA201](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA201) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980408021289A

## Narrative

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

HARD LANDING BLEW NOSE TIRE AT SBA REPAIRED. RETURNED EMT. FOUND DAMAGED FIREWALL AND COWL. BEYOND REPAIR QUOTED. (.19) ON APRIL 8, 1998, AT 1645 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 172N, N6417J, MADE A HARD LANDING AT THE SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA, AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER, THE SOLE OCCUPANTS, WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT LANDED IN SANTA BARBARA AND THE NOSEWHEEL TIRE WAS FOUND RUPTURED AND REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. THE AIRCRAFT OPERATOR WAS CONTACTED AND AUTHORIZED REPLACEMENT OF THE TIRE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SIGNED OFF AS AIRWORTHY BY THE MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE TIRE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY FLOWN TO ITS HOME BASE AT THE EL MONTE, CALIFORNIA, AIRPORT, WHERE IT WAS INSPECTED BY THE OPERATOR. AN FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION INSPECTOR FROM THE LOS ANGELES FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT AND FOUND A DISTORTED FIREWALL AND BOOT COWL. THIS ACCIDENT WAS REPORTED AS AN INCIDENT ON APRIL 8, 1998, AND WAS UPGRADED TO AN ACCIDENT ON JUNE 17, 1998.                                                                         (.4)THE PILOT MISJUDGED THE LANDING FLARE AND THE AIRCRAFT LANDED HARD RUPTURING THE NOSEWHEEL TIRE. THE TIRE WAS REPLACED AND THE MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE TIRE DECLARED THE AIRCRAFT AIRWORTHY.  THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLOWN TO ITS HOME BASE WHERE IT WAS EXAMINED AND FOUND TO HAVE 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.                                    (-23)PILOT OF A RENTAL AIRCRAFT LANDED HARD UPON ARRIVAL AT SANTA BARBARA.  THE NOSEWHEEL TIRE WAS RUPTURED, AND REQUIRED REPLACEMENT.  AIRCRAFT OPERATOR WAS CONTACTED AND AUTHORIZED REPLACEMENT OF THE TIRE.  THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY FLOWN HOME TO EL MONTE, CA WHERE THE IARCRAFT WAS INSPECTED BY THE OPERATOR.  AT THAT TIME IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE EXTENT OF DMAGE WAS MORE SEVERE THAN FIRST REPORTED.  FAA AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DATA^, LAX FSDO, INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT AND FOUND A DISTORTED FIREWELL AND BOOT COWL.  OPERATOR REPORTS THAT THE AIRCRAFT IS BEYOND ECONOMICAL REPAIR, BUT THIS HAS NOT BEEN CONFIRMED.

## 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 LAX98LA201](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA201), Apr 8, 1998: Cessna 172N (N6417J), Santa Barbara, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's misjudging the landing flare and subsequent hard landing.

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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