LAX95LA347

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 152 · Santa Ana, CA · October 1, 1995

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
September 30, 1995, 21:19 local (Oct 1, 1995, 04:19 UTC)
Place
Santa Ana, CA
Injuries
2 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N68225Cessna 152
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
Status
Completed · report March 21, 1996
Report
Approved by Office Director
FAA report
19950930030749A
Case key
29225

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

the second pilot's failure to maintain directional control and the first pilot's improper supervision of the flight.

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.

Loss of control - on ground/waterLanding - roll
Directional control - not maintainedPilot passengerCause
Supervision - improperPilot in commandCause
On ground/water collision with objectLanding - roll
Object - airport facility

Analysis

The pilot executed an ILS to runway 19R. The local controller instructed the flight to land on runway 19L to maintain separation standards between the flight and a departing Boeing 757. The flight was about 5 miles from the airport when the pilot abandoned the approach. When the flight was about 1 mile from the airport, the local controller gave the pilot the option to land on either runway. The pilot elected to land on runway 19R. The pilot lost directional control of the airplane during the landing rollout and collided with an airport facility. The radar data showed that the Boeing 757 was 5 miles south of the airport when the accident airplane landed. The operator reported that the airplane did not experience any preimpact malfunctions or failures.

Factual narrative

On September 30, 1995, at 2119 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 152, N68225, collided with an airport facility during the landing roll on runway 19R at John Wayne Airport, Santa Ana, California. The pilots were completing an instrument flight rules personal flight. The airplane, registered to a private individual d.b.a. Royal Aviation Flying Club, John Wayne Airport, sustained substantial damage. Neither the certificated commercial pilot occupying the right front seat (herein referred to as the first pilot) nor the certificated commercial pilot flying the airplane and occupying the left front seat (second pilot) was injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at John Wayne Airport at 1640 hours; the flight departed Santa Barbara Airport, Santa Barbara, California, at 2030 hours.

The first pilot told National Transportation Safety Board investigators in a telephone interview that he rented the airplane and was the pilot-in-command (PIC). Later, he told a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) operations inspector that before departing John Wayne Airport he agreed that he would be the PIC on the flight to Santa Barbara Airport. On the return flight the second pilot would be the PIC.

The first pilot said that the second pilot executed an instrument landing system (ILS) approach to runway 19R. When the flight was about 3 miles from the runway, the local controller instructed the flight to land on runway 19L because of a departing Boeing 757. When the flight was about a mile from the airport, the local controller cleared the flight for the option to land on either runway 19L or 19R. The second pilot elected to land on runway 19R.

The airplane touched down normally. During the landing roll, the airplane began to veer to the left. The first pilot said that the second pilot appeared to correct the left drift. Moments later, the airplane abruptly turned left, exited the runway environment, and collided with an airport facility.

The second pilot concurred with the first pilot's statement concerning the sequence of events and that the first pilot was the PIC. He added that both wings remained level during the entire maneuver. He said that he thought the airplane encountered wake turbulence from the departing Boeing 757.

The operator submitted the required Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report Form, NTSB Form 6120.1/2. He indicated in the form that the airplane did not experience any preimpact malfunctions or failures.

The FAA, Western-Pacific Region Air Traffic Division, Quality Assurance Branch, provided the Safety Board with the radar data of the Delta 757 and the accident airplane. The radar data shows that when the accident airplane landed, the Delta 757 was about 5 miles south of the airport.

Aircraft

Registration
N68225
Reported as
Cessna 152
Category
Airplane
Serial number
1528298
Airframe hours
7,876
Engine
Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Registered owner
Eric Rhoads
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
Last inspection
100 hour · September 20, 1995 · 16 hours before
Departed
SBA · Santa Barbara, CA
Destination
SNA
Flight plan
IFR
Airport
SNA · John Wayne/Orange County, runway 19R, 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
27
Certificate
Commercial
Airplane ratings
Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
Seat
Right
Flight hours
450 total

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
Wind
Calm
Visibility
20 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
72 °F, dew point 61 °F
Altimeter
29.00 inHg
Observed at
SN

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.