20200520008729A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 172S · Fullerton, CA · May 20, 2020

Date
May 20, 2020 · 14:40 local
Place
Fullerton, CA
Airport
Fullerton Municipal
Phase of flight
Landing: Rollout
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N4000X
Reported as
Cessna 172S
Reported engine
Lycoming I0360 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0

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.

The airplane was stolen from the chino airport by a non-certificated individual.

The individual who stole the airplane conducted a straight in to runway 24. The aircraft made several touchdowns on the runway surface before fully landing on the runway past midfield. The aircraft did not have enough distance to stop, exited the runway at the end, and impacted the western airport property fence.

California highway patrol aviation unit (based at kful) witnessed the accident happen and were first on the scene, talked with person flying and from their training recognized something was not right with this person?s story and informed Fullerton, CA pd of the situation. FAA iic coordinated site visit with NTSB investigator and FAA inspector dispatched to the scene.

Investigation at the scene validated the aircraft appeared to land going to fast bouncing a few times and skidded for approx. 632.5 feet from the west end of runway and then contacted the fence stopping the aircraft, person flying stated brakes were not working but skid marks appear to disqualify that statement.

When aircraft struck the fence the aircraft stopped the rolled backwards through a drainage gully, the tail of the aircraft struck the ground damaging the lower section of the rudder. The damage to the rudder classifies this occurrence as an accident. The upper hinge of the aircraft left door was broken and separated from the aircraft fuselage, possibly by rapid egress of person flying. Other damage noted was to the engine spinner and propeller blades due to contact with airport fencing and ground strike.

The person flying the airplane was taken into custody on the scene.

As the FAA filed it

THE AIRPLANE WAS STOLEN FROM THE CHINO AIRPORT BY A NON-CERTIFICATED INDIVIDUAL.

THE INDIVIDUAL WHO STOLE THE AIRPLANE CONDUCTED A STRAIGHT IN TO RUNWAY 24. THE AIRCRAFT MADE SEVERAL TOUCHDOWNS ON THE RUNWAY SURFACE BEFORE FULLY LANDING ON THE RUNWAY PAST MIDFIELD. THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH DISTANCE TO STOP, EXITED THE RUNWAY AT THE END, AND IMPACTED THE WESTERN AIRPORT PROPERTY FENCE.

CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL AVIATION UNIT (BASED AT KFUL) WITNESSED THE ACCIDENT HAPPEN AND WERE FIRST ON THE SCENE, TALKED WITH PERSON FLYING AND FROM THEIR TRAINING RECOGNIZED SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT WITH THIS PERSON?S STORY AND INFORMED FULLERTON, CA PD OF THE SITUATION. FAA IIC COORDINATED SITE VISIT WITH NTSB INVESTIGATOR AND FAA INSPECTOR DISPATCHED TO THE SCENE.

INVESTIGATION AT THE SCENE VALIDATED THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO LAND GOING TO FAST BOUNCING A FEW TIMES AND SKIDDED FOR APPROX. 632.5 FEET FROM THE WEST END OF RUNWAY AND THEN CONTACTED THE FENCE STOPPING THE AIRCRAFT, PERSON FLYING STATED BRAKES WERE NOT WORKING BUT SKID MARKS APPEAR TO DISQUALIFY THAT STATEMENT.

WHEN AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE FENCE THE AIRCRAFT STOPPED THE ROLLED BACKWARDS THROUGH A DRAINAGE GULLY, THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND DAMAGING THE LOWER SECTION OF THE RUDDER. THE DAMAGE TO THE RUDDER CLASSIFIES THIS OCCURRENCE AS AN ACCIDENT. THE UPPER HINGE OF THE AIRCRAFT LEFT DOOR WAS BROKEN AND SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT FUSELAGE, POSSIBLY BY RAPID EGRESS OF PERSON FLYING. OTHER DAMAGE NOTED WAS TO THE ENGINE SPINNER AND PROPELLER BLADES DUE TO CONTACT WITH AIRPORT FENCING AND GROUND STRIKE.

THE PERSON FLYING THE AIRPLANE WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY ON THE SCENE.