- Date
- May 8, 1994, 16:40 local (23:40 UTC)
- Place
- Santa Ana, CA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8246BCessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 14, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940508038309A
- Case key
- 28739
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 failure to maintain directional control of the aircraft. A factor in the accident was the pilot's limited experience in conventional gear aircraft.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he made a normal main wheel touchdown on runway 19L. During the landing rollout, he lost directional control and the aircraft ground looped off the runway, damaging the left wing, wheel, and stabilizer. The pilot reported that he had only 15 hours of total experience in conventional gear aircraft.
Factual narrative
On May 8, 1994, at 1640 Pacific daylight time, a tailwheel equipped Cessna 172, N8246B, ground looped on landing at John Wayne Airport, Santa Ana, California. The aircraft, owned and operated by the pilot, was on a local area personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the operation. The aircraft sustained substantial wing and fuselage damage. The certificated commercial pilot and the two passengers on board were not injured. The flight originated at the John Wayne Airport on the day of the mishap at 1550 hours.
In a verbal statement, the pilot reported that he made a normal main wheel touchdown on runway 19L. During the landing rollout, he lost directional control and the aircraft ground looped off the runway, damaging the left wing, wheel, and stabilizer. The pilot reported that he had only 15 hours of total experience in conventional gear aircraft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8246B
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 36046
- Airframe hours
- 2,867
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Wise, Jeffrey A.
- Registered owner
- Wise, Jeffrey A.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 1993 · 87 hours before
- Airport
- SNA · John Wayne, runway 19L, 5,700 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 35
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 813 total · 15 in this make and model · 702 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SNA
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.