# Incident 20210221001359I: Beech S35, Santa Monica, CA, February 21, 2021

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 21, 2021, 14:20 local time
- Place: Santa Monica, CA
- Airport: Santa Monica Airport
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.0158° N, 118.4513° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at SANTA MONICA MUNI (SMO), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.0158&lon=-118.4513&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8929M, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N8929M-2022-09-03) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Beech S35 (registry code 1151532, https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-s35) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental IO-520 series (registry code 17032, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-520-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BEECH S35
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR IO 520 SERIES
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 2,273 total, 845 in this make and model, 13 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210221001359I

## Narrative

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

ON 02/21/2021 AT 15:29 PST, A BEECH S35,  N8929M REGISTERED TO^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, COMPLETED A GEAR UP LANDING AT SANTA MONICA AIRPORT, SANTA MONICA CA. DUE TO BEING DISTRACTED BY SEAGULLS WHILE LOWERING THE LANDING GEAR LEVER. MADE AN ABRUPT MANEUVER AVIODING THE BIRDS, PILOT FAILED TO ENSURE GEAR HAD EXTENDED CAUSING PROPELLER STRIKE DAMGE, MINOR DAMAGE TO NOSE GEAR DOORS, TRAILING EDGE FLAPS AND ENGINE EXHAUST PIPES. PILOT WAS UNINJURED. CLASSIFIED AS AN INCIDENT.

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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