# Incident 20260830012029I: Cessna 172S, Santa Monica, CA, August 30, 2026

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 30, 2026, 16:00 local time
- Place: Santa Monica, CA
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Run-Up Area
- Operating rules: Pilot school (Part 141)
- Operator: 4KTS
- Location: 34.0109° N, 118.4982° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Santa Monica, CA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.0109&lon=-118.4982&mi=10
- Aircraft: N421ER, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N421ER) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 172S (registry code 2072439, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172s) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (registry code 41597, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-360-l2a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172S
- Reported engine: LYCOMING IO-360-L2A
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot, student
- Pilot flight hours: 302 total, 29 in this make and model, 91 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260830012029I

## Narrative

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

ON AUGUST 30, 2026, PILOT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WAS OPERATING ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ (CESSNA 172S) AT SANTA MONICA AIRPORT (KSMO). AT APPROXIMATELY 1600 PST, THE PILOT DID THE PREFLIGHT AND OIL/FUEL CHECK AND THEN STARTED THE AIRCRAFT. GROUND CONTROL INSTRUCTED THE PILOT TO TAKE A TAXI VIA TAXIWAY A TO THE RUN-UP AREA. WHILE PUTTING THE RIGHT RUDDER TO THE TURN RIGHT TOWARD THE RUN-UP AREA, THE AIRCRAFT’S LEFT WING MADE CONTACT WITH A LIGHT POLE. AS A RESULT, THE AIRCRAFT’S NOSE MOVED TO THE LEFT AND THE PROPELLER MADE CONTACT WITH A PLASTIC WALL. THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE AND CONTACTED GROUND CONTROL BY RADIO TO REPORT WHAT HAD OCCURRED.

## Other reports on N421ER (2)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 20131216023609I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20131216023609I), Dec 16, 2013: Cessna 172S (N421ER), Wickenberg, AZ, Minor damage. On 12/16/2013 at approximately 0930 the aircraft N421ER, C-172 right wing leading edge struck a light pole while the student pilot was taxiing to parking. The…
- [Accident 20130320003499A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20130320003499A), Mar 20, 2013: Cessna 172S (N421ER), Gila Bend, AZ, Substantial damage. On 3/20/2013 the student pilot left deer valley airport (dvt) on a solo cross country flight to Gila Bend municipal (E63). After landing at 1000 he taxied on…

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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