- Date
- March 12, 2017, 12:24 local (19:24 UTC)
- Place
- Santa Monica, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N53DASwearingen SA227 TT
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 23, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170312007549A
- Case key
- 95355
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot’s unstabilized approach after encountering wake turbulence, which resulted in a hard landing.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that, while on short final following a jet airplane, the airplane "encountered turbulence that induced significant rolling." He added that the airplane "was not able to completely re-establish a stabilized approach prior to touching down." Subsequently, the airplane touched down "more firm than usual." The pilot taxied the airplane to the ramp without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, while on short final following a jet airplane, the airplane "encountered turbulence that induced significant rolling". He added that the airplane "was not able to completely re-establish a stabilized approach prior to touching down". Subsequently, the airplane touched down "more firm than usual". The pilot taxied the airplane to the ramp without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N53DA
- Reported as
- Swearingen SA227 TT (TT)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- TT-438
- Built
- 1981
- Engines
- Airesearch TPE331, 904 horsepower, turbo propAiresearch TPE331, 904 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- PSP · Palm Springs, CA
- Destination
- SMO · Santa Monica, CA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- SMO · Santa Monica Muni, runway 21, 4,973 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot, Stall warning system
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 13, 2016
- Flight hours
- 4,900 total · 410 in this make and model · 4,700 as pilot in command · 102 in the last 90 days · 32 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- KSMO
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 6, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.2 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.