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20110829022859A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Cessna 172M · Santa Monica, CA · August 29, 2011

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 29, 2011 · 14:32 local
Place
Santa Monica, CA
Airport
Santa Monica
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N5155Q
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR11FA415
Reported as
Cessna 172M
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
3
Pilot’s certificate
Student
Pilot’s flight hours
47 total47 in this make and model7 in the last 90 days
N5155QRegistration cancelled Jul 6, 2017 · Cessna 172MS/N 17261768 · Built 1973Airframe modelCessna 172MEngine 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.

Airman made a normal takeoff from Santa Monica Airport (smo) and rotated at normal speed. Five to seven seconds later suddenly the aircraft airspeed indicator displayed high airspeed on the indicator (momentarily) and then failed and went to (and remained) at zero airspeed. Airman advised smo tower that his airspeed indicator did not seem to be working. Tower cleared the airspace and gave him clearance to land. Airman flew a normal downwind pattern but turned early for base. Airman was high on altitude and fast passing the smo tower. Airman continued to fly down the runway and stated he felt he was in position to land sucessfully around the intersection of taxiway A1 & B1 with smo RUNWAY21. At approximately that point, tower transmitted: "climb now. Go around". Upon receiving this transmission from ATC, the airman responded immediately. He raised flaps from 20 to zero degrees and then added power (wrong sequence of events for go-around procedure). Airman saw powerlines in front of him and raised the nose to avoid. Subsequently, the aircraft stalled and descended hitting a residence in the Santa Monica neighborhood.

As the FAA filed it

AIRMAN MADE A NORMAL TAKEOFF FROM SANTA MONICA AIRPORT (SMO) AND ROTATED AT NORMAL SPEED. FIVE TO SEVEN SECONDS LATER SUDDENLY THE AIRCRAFT AIRSPEED INDICATOR DISPLAYED HIGH AIRSPEED ON THE INDICATOR (MOMENTARILY) AND THEN FAILED AND WENT TO (AND REMAINED) AT ZERO AIRSPEED.AIRMAN ADVISED SMO TOWER THAT HIS AIRSPEED INDICATOR DID NOT SEEM TO BE WORKING. TOWER CLEARED THE AIRSPACE AND GAVE HIM CLEARANCE TO LAND. AIRMAN FLEW A NORMAL DOWNWIND PATTERN BUT TURNED EARLY FOR BASE. AIRMAN WAS HIGH ON ALTITUDE AND FAST PASSING THE SMO TOWER. AIRMAN CONTINUED TO FLY DOWN THE RUNWAY AND STATED HE FELT HE WAS IN POSITION TO LAND SUCESSFULLY AROUND THE INTERSECTION OF TAXIWAY A1 & B1 WITH SMO RUNWAY21. AT APPROXIMATELY THAT POINT, TOWER TRANSMITTED: "CLIMB NOW. GO AROUND". UPON RECEIVING THIS TRANSMISSION FROM ATC, THE AIRMAN RESPONDED IMMEDIATELY. HE RAISED FLAPS FROM 20 TO ZERO DEGREES AND THEN ADDED POWER (WRONG SEQUENCE OF EVENTS FOR GO-AROUND PROCEDURE). AIRMAN SAW POWERLINES IN FRONT OF HIM AND RAISED THE NOSE TO AVOID. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRCRAFT STALLED AND DESCENDED HITTING A RESIDENCE IN THE SANTA MONICA NEIGHBORHOOD.

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 WPR11FA415Accident · Serious injuriesField investigationFinal reportSanta Monica, CAThe student pilot’s misjudged approach and landing attempt. Contributing to the accident was a lack of airspeed due to a blocked pitot tube.Aug 29, 2011 · Substantial damage