# Accident 20031206032329A: Cessna 172S, Watsonville, CA, December 6, 2003

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 6, 2003, 16:42 local time
- Place: Watsonville, CA
- Airport: Watsonville Municipal Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Forced Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 36.9494° N, 121.8036° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.9494&lon=-121.8036&mi=10
- Aircraft: N396TA, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N396TA) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 172S (registry code 2072439, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172s) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (registry code 41597, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-360-l2a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172S
- Reported engine: LYC IO360LYC*
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 222 total, 172 in this make and model, 27 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX04LA060](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX04LA060) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20031206032329A

## Narrative

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

(-23) N396TA WAS ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN FROM Q99 TO MRY. AT 2400 FT., ON VECTORS FOR AN ILS APPROACH, WHILE IN AND OUT OF CLOUDS, THE PILOT STATED THAT HIS AIRSPEED AND ALTIMETER STARTED HANGING UP AND JUMPING UP AND DOWN. THE OAT WAS ABOUT 5 DEGREES CENTIGRADE AND THE PITOT HEAT WAS ON. HE GOT A VECTOR BACK TOWARD KWVI FROM MRY APPROACH. AT 2000 FT., IN THE CLEAR, THE ENGINE STOPPED (ROTATING). THERE WERE OPEN NEWLY PLOWED FIELDS BELOW. HE STATED THAT HE TRIED RESTARTING THE ENGINE ABOUT THREE TIMES BEFORE HE HAD TO LAND IN ONE OF THE FIELDS. THE FIELD WAS SOFT MUD. EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT WHEN THE NOSE WHEEL CAME DOWN THE AIRCRAFT SKIPPED WITH THE NOSE WHEEL CONTACTING THE GROUND APPROXIMATELY 25 FT. LATER, DIGGING IN, LOSING THE FAIRING, AND CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO FLIP INVERTED AND LAND INVERTED ALONG THE SAME AXIS ABOUT 30 FT. FARTHER ON. THE ENGINE WAS SEPARATED ABOUT 2 FT. FROM THE FIREWALL AND LYING UPSIDE DOWN IN THE COWLING. THE PILOT AND LONE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT EXITED UNHARMED. THERE WAS BLUE FUEL STAIN EVIDENCE OF FUEL LEAKAGE AT THE FUEL VENT ON THE LEFT WING AND FUEL DRIPPING FROM THE WING. THE GROUND BENEATH WAS WET WITH FUEL. THIS WAS TWO DAYS AFTER THE EVENT, INDICATING FUEL WAS NOT AN ISSUE.

## 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 LAX04LA060](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX04LA060), Dec 7, 2003: Cessna 172S (N396TA), Watsonville, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.

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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