# Accident 19980920032089A: Cessna 172F, Long Beach, CA, September 20, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 20, 1998, 21:30 local time
- Place: Long Beach, CA
- Airport: Long Beach - Daugherty Field
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 33.8193° N, 118.1094° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.8193&lon=-118.1094&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8761U, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N8761U) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 172F (registry code 2072414, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172f) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental 0-300 series (registry code 17022, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-0-300-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172F
- Reported engine: CONT O300D
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 887 total, 95 in this make and model, 5 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX98LA301](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA301) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980920032089A

## Narrative

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

AFTER THREE PRACTICE NIGHT TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS AT KFUL, THE PILOT TOOK ONE PASSENGER TO KTOA WHERE HE PICKED UP ANOTHER PASSENGER AND PROCEEDED TO KLGB. DURING THE LANDING ON RUNWAY 25L AT KLGB, HE FLARED HIGHT AND BALLOONED. HE ADDED POWER TO CONTROL HIS SINK RATE, THEN REDUCED POWER AGAIN. THE AIRPLANE STALLED AND BANKED LEFT. THE PROPELLER, NOSEGEAR, LEFT GEAR, AND LEFT WINGTIP STRUCK THE GROUND. THE ACFT BOUNCED AND THE RIGHT WINGTIP ALSO STRUCK THE GROUND. (FROM .4) THE PILOT ENTERED THE LANDING PATTERN FOR RUNWAY 25L AND EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL UNTIL HE FLARED FOR TOUCHDOWN. HE BELIEVED HE HAD FLARED HIGH AND WAS BALLOONING SO HE ADDED POWER TO HELP CONTROL THE DESCENT RATE.  IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO WHAT HE BELIEVED WOULD BE TOUCHDOWN, HE REDUCED POWER.  THE NOSE DROPPED AND THE PROPELLER, NOSE GEAR, LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR, AND LEFT WING TIP STRUCK THE PAVEMENT ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY.  THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED AND STRUCK THE GROUND WITH THE RIGHT WING TIP BEFORE COMING TO REST ON THE RUNWAY.

## 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 LAX98LA301](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA301), Sep 21, 1998: Cessna 172F (N8761U), Long Beach, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's misjudging the flare point and failure to maintain an adequate airspeed margin, which resulted in a stall/mush and hard landing. A contributing factor was the dark night conditions.

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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