# Accident 20131229025039A: Cessna 172N, Pacoima, CA, December 29, 2013 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: December 29, 2013, 12:30 local time - Place: Pacoima, CA - Airport: Whiteman - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Landing: Rollout - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 34.2583° N, 118.4142° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.2583&lon=-118.4142&mi=10 - Aircraft: N4936D, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4936D-2015-04-30) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 172N (registry code 2072434, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172n) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 172N - Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 2 - Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor - Pilot flight hours: 880 total, 800 in this make and model, 190 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR14LA080](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR14LA080) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20131229025039A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. N4936D DEPARTED KWHP FOR A TRAINING FLIGHT AT 1130 LOCAL TIME. THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI) WAS THE PIC FOR THIS FLIGHT AND OCCUPIED THE RIGHT SEAT. THE PILOT IN THE LEFT SEAT POSSESSES A PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE LAND (ASEL) WITH A MEDICAL CERTIFICATE LAST ISSUED ON OCTOBER 31, 2005. ADDITIONALLY, THE LEFT SEAT PILOT DOES NOT POSSESS A CURRENT 14 CFR 61.56 FLIGHT REVIEW. THE LEFT SEAT PILOT HAS APPROXIMATELY 142 HOURS TOTAL FLIGHT TIME, AND HIS LAST FLIGHT WAS APPROXIMATELY 5 YEARS PRIOR TO THE MISHAP FLIGHT. AT 1047 LOCAL, THE WINDS WERE REPORTED 340 AT 14 KNOTS(KTS), GUSTING 21 KTS AND AT 1147 LOCAL, THE WINDS WERE REPORTED 330 AT 9 KTS, GUSTING 21 KTS. THE SKY WAS CLEAR AND THE RUNWAY WAS DRY. THE LEFT SEAT PILOT EXECUTED A NORMAL DEPARTURE FROM KWHP, AND DEPARTED TO THE NORTH AT 2500 FEET TO CLEAR THE CLASS C AIRSPACE. THE LEFT SEAT PILOT FLEW N4963D TO A PRACTICE AREA DEPICTED ON THE LOS ANGELES TAC CHART LOCATED WEST OF THE CITY OF SANTA CLARITA. THEY PERFORMED BASIC AIR WORK MANEUVERS AT OR BELOW 4500 FEET MSL FOR APPROXIMATELY 35 MINUTES BEFORE RETURNING TO KWHP. INBOUND TO KWHP, THE PILOTS CONTACTED KWHP TOWER AND WERE INSTRUCTED BY ATC TO ENTER A LEFT DOWNWIND FOR RUNWAY 30. A STANDARD PATTERN WAS FLOWN WITH THE PILOT IN THE LEFT SEAT AT THE CONTROLS. WINDS WERE REPORTED BY ATC 350 AT 24 KNOTS. ON THE DOWNWIND LEG, FLAPS WERE SET TO 10 DEGREES, AND A NORMAL BASE TURN WAS EXECUTED AT BRANFORD STREET SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT. THE MISHAP PILOTS SELECTED FLAPS 20 DEGREES ON THE BASE LEG. ON FINAL APPROACH, ATC REPORTED THE WINDS 360 AT 26 KNOTS. THE PILOT FLYING IN THE LEFT SEAT TRANSFERRED CONTROL OF THE MISHAP AIRCRAFT TO THE CFI IN THE RIGHT SEAT DUE TO HIS LACK OF CONFIDENCE OF BEING ABLE TO EXECUTE THE LANDING WITH A STRONG CROSSWIND. THE CFI WAS ON THE CONTROLS OF N4936D AND TOUCHED DOWN NEAR THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON THE RUNWAY ON LANDING ROLLOUT WHEN A GUST OF WIND TOOK THE AIRCRAFT AIRBORNE. THE AIRCRAFT DRIFTED SOUTH TOWARDS THE EDGE OF THE RUNWAY AND A GO-AROUND WAS INITIATED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOW HEADING TOWARDS THE CONTROL TOWER, WHEN A SECOND GUST OF WIND ROLLED THE AIRCRAFT INTO A 60-70 DEGREE LEFT BANK TURN. THE AIRCRAFT FLEW INTO THE POWER LINES 340 FEET SOUTHWEST OF RUNWAY 30. THERE WAS A SHORT CIRCUIT OF THE POWER LINES WITH ARCING THAT CAUSED BURN MARKS ON THE LEADING EDGE OF THE AIRCRAFT?S LEFT WING, ALONG WITH BURN MARKS TO THE FORWARD PORTION OF THE ENGINE COWLING AND THE LEFT WING STRUT. THE PITOT TUBE ALSO HIT THE POWER LINE, AND TORE OFF A SECTION OF THE LEADING EDGE OF THE LEFT WING. THE AIRCRAFT THEN FELL, MAKING A LEFT 270 DEGREE LEFT TURN. DURING THIS FALL THE TAIL SECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT HIT THE SIDE WALL OF A BUILDING AND CRUMPLED UP TOWARDS THE REAR WINDOW OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE LEFT LANDING GEAR LANDED ON THE HOOD OF A PARKED CAR, AND THE RIGHT WING LANDED ON TOP OF A PARKED SUV. THE PROPELLER WAS TURNING AND SLICED INTO A METAL STORAGE STRUCTURE ATTACHED TO AN ADJACENT BUILDING. THE LEFT WING FUEL TANK WAS COMPROMISED AND WAS LEAKING FUEL ONTO THE GROUND. BOTH PILOTS EGRESSED THE MISHAP AIRCRAFT ON THEIR OWN AND WERE TREATED FOR MINOR INJURIES AT THE SCENE. BOTH PILOTS WERE TRANSPORTED TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL FOR FURTHER TREATMENT AND OBSERVATION. ## 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 WPR14LA080](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR14LA080), Dec 29, 2013: Cessna 172N (N4936D), Pacoima, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The flight instructor’s inadequate compensation for the gusting crosswind conditions during landing, which resulted in a loss of airplane control. 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.