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20010328040069A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Cessna 172N · Santa Monica, CA · March 28, 2001

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 28, 2001 · 18:58 local
Place
Santa Monica, CA
Phase of flight
Scud Running
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N2838E
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX01FA129
Reported as
Cessna 172N
Reported engine
Lycoming O360A4M
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
3
Pilot’s flight hours
150 total50 in this make and model
N2838ERegistration cancelled Jan 11, 2002 · Cessna 172NS/N 17271340 · Built 1978Airframe modelCessna 172NEngine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) Pilot with two passengers departed Santa Monica airport at 1858 PST for a sightseeing flight "up and down the shoreline". Cloud bases from shore westward were 1100' AGL with visibility approximately 5-6 miles. FAA radar shows that the aircraft flew approximately 1/2 mile offshore while maintaining between 900 to 1,100'. After passing the pacific palisades area the aircraft turned southerly, nearly perpendicular to shoreline. Seconds later the airplane descended from 1100' to 600 feet while in a right turn. The last radar hit was at 600 feet approximately 1 mile south of topanga beach. A witness at topanga beach saw an aircraft fall into the water and called 911. A search that night by the coast guard and los angeles county lifeguards found no evidence of wreckage. The next morning one body was found floating near the crash area along with a part of the landing gear. Searches by local authorities found little wreckage. By April 10, the aircraft's crash location was pin-pointed and the wreckage was raised. Two bodies were found.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT WITH TWO PASSENGERS DEPARTED SANTA MONICA AIRPORT AT 1858 PST FOR A SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT "UP AND DOWN THE SHORELINE". CLOUD BASES FROM SHORE WESTWARD WERE 1100' AGL WITH VISIBILITY APPROXIMATELY 5-6 MILES. FAA RADAR SHOWS THAT THE AIRCRAFT FLEW APPROXIMATELY 1/2 MILE OFFSHORE WHILE MAINTAINING BETWEEN 900 TO 1,100'. AFTER PASSING THE PACIFIC PALISADES AREA THE AIRCRAFT TURNED SOUTHERLY, NEARLY PERPENDICULAR TO SHORELINE. SECONDS LATER THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED FROM 1100' TO 600 FEET WHILE IN A RIGHT TURN. THE LAST RADAR HIT WAS AT 600 FEET APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE SOUTH OF TOPANGA BEACH. A WITNESS AT TOPANGA BEACH SAW AN AIRCRAFT FALL INTO THE WATER AND CALLED 911. A SEARCH THAT NIGHT BY THE COAST GUARD AND LOS ANGELES COUNTY LIFEGUARDS FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF WRECKAGE. THE NEXT MORNING ONE BODY WAS FOUND FLOATING NEAR THE CRASH AREA ALONG WITH A PART OF THE LANDING GEAR. SEARCHES BY LOCAL AUTHORITIES FOUND LITTLE WRECKAGE. BY APRIL 10, THE AIRCRAFT'S CRASH LOCATION WAS PIN-POINTED AND THE WRECKAGE WAS RAISED. TWO BODIES WERE FOUND.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB LAX01FA129Accident · 3 fatalField investigationFinal reportSanta Monica, CAthe pilot's loss of airplane control while maneuvering due to spatial disorientation. Contributing factors were the dark night, the marine cloud layer that restricted the pilot's cruising altitude, and the pilot's lack of familiarity with nighttime flight…Mar 29, 2001 · Destroyed