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20091210053029I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Cessna 172N · Pacoima, CA · December 10, 2009

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
December 10, 2009 · 16:47 local
Place
Pacoima, CA
Airport
Whiteman
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N6431F
Reported as
Cessna 172N
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
1,200 total1,000 in this make and model30 in the last 90 days
N6431FRegistration cancelled Oct 28, 2013 · Cessna 172NS/N 17273223 · Built 1980Airframe 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.

Mr. Garcia stated he was giving dual instruction for the first time to Mr. Cohen on a flight from vny airport to whp airport for landing practice. Mr. Garcia was making the radio calls while Mr. Cohen was the pilot flying. Whp tower instructed them to enter right base to runway 12. Later, whp tower told N6431F to square turn to final, cleared to land runway 12. There was no mention of a departing helicopter or possible wake turbulence. On final, Mr. Garcia observed the helicopter departing the airport. Their approach was normal until Mr. Cohen started to flare for landing. The airplane suddenly pitched up and banked to the left. Mr. Cohen started to make a correction, then gave the controls to Mr. Garcia. Mr. Garcia said that the airplane banked 60 degrees to the left and yawed 45 degrees to the left. Mr. Garcia stated that he corrected to the right, added power, heard a noise, returned power to idle, then the left wing struck the vertical stabilizer of an aircraft, parked, in the tiedown area. Their aircraft rolled ahead, then stopped on the ramp. Mr. Garcia stated the weather was VFR, calm winds.

As the FAA filed it

MR. GARCIA STATED HE WAS GIVING DUAL INSTRUCTION FOR THE FIRST TIME TO MR. COHEN ON A FLIGHT FROM VNY AIRPORT TO WHP AIRPORT FOR LANDING PRACTICE. MR. GARCIA WAS MAKING THE RADIO CALLS WHILE MR. COHEN WAS THE PILOT FLYING. WHP TOWER INSTRUCTED THEM TO ENTER RIGHT BASE TO RUNWAY 12. LATER, WHP TOWER TOLD N6431F TO SQUARE TURN TO FINAL, CLEARED TO LAND RUNWAY 12. THERE WAS NO MENTION OF A DEPARTING HELICOPTER OR POSSIBLE WAKE TURBULENCE. ON FINAL, MR. GARCIA OBSERVED THE HELICOPTER DEPARTING THE AIRPORT. THEIR APPROACH WAS NORMAL UNTIL MR. COHEN STARTED TO FLARE FOR LANDING. THE AIRPLANE SUDDENLY PITCHED UP AND BANKED TO THE LEFT. MR. COHEN STARTED TO MAKE A CORRECTION, THEN GAVE THE CONTROLS TO MR. GARCIA. MR. GARCIA SAID THAT THE AIRPLANE BANKED 60 DEGREES TO THE LEFT AND YAWED 45 DEGREES TO THE LEFT. MR. GARCIA STATED THAT HE CORRECTED TO THE RIGHT, ADDED POWER, HEARD A NOISE, RETURNED POWER TO IDLE, THEN THE LEFT WING STRUCK THE VERTICAL STABILIZER OF AN AIRCRAFT, PARKED, IN THE TIEDOWN AREA. THEIR AIRCRAFT ROLLED AHEAD, THEN STOPPED ON THE RAMP. MR. GARCIA STATED THE WEATHER WAS VFR, CALM WINDS.