# NTSB LAX98LA201: Cessna 172N, N6417J, Santa Barbara, CA, April 8, 1998 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: April 8, 1998, 16:45 local (23:45 UTC) - Place: Santa Barbara, CA - Location: 34.4262° N, 119.8415° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at SANTA BARBARA MUNI (SBA), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.4262&lon=-119.8415&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report February 15, 2001 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 30123 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX98LA201 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/30123/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA201 ## Probable cause The pilot's misjudging the landing flare and subsequent hard landing. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, landing - landing gear,nose gear strut - collapsed (contributing factor) - flare - misjudged, pilot in command (cause) - Nose gear collapsed, landing ## Analysis The pilot misjudged the landing flare and the aircraft landed hard rupturing the nosewheel tire. The tire was replaced and the mechanic who replaced the tire declared the aircraft airworthy. The aircraft was flown to its home base where it was examined and found to have a distorted firewall and boot cowl. This was reported as an incident on April 8, 1998, and was upgraded to an accident on June 17, 1998. ## Factual narrative On April 8, 1998, at 1645 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N6417J, sustained substantial damage while landing at the Santa Barbara, California, airport. The private pilot and passenger, the sole occupants, were not injured. The personal flight originated at the Van Nuys, California, airport, at 1535, and an IFR flight plan was filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed along the route of flight. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector from the Van Nuys, California, Flight Standards District Office interviewed the pilot. The inspector stated that the pilot reported that he made a hard landing on runway 25, then taxied the aircraft off the runway and noticed that the nose gear strut was collapsed and the nose wheel tire was flat. The pilot reported that the winds at the time of the accident were from 260 degrees at 10 knots. After the accident, the aircraft operator was contacted and authorized replacement of the tire. The mechanic who replaced the tire signed off the aircraft as airworthy, and the aircraft was subsequently flown to its home base in El Monte where the operator inspected it. At that time, it was determined that the extent of the damage was more severe than first reported. An FAA inspector from the Los Angeles Flight Standards District Office inspected the aircraft and found a distorted firewall and boot cowl. This was reported as an incident on April 8, 1998, and was upgraded to an accident on June 17, 1998. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N6417J](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N6417J), registered now, S/N 17273871 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 172N - Registry model: [Cessna 172N](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172n) (registry code 2072434) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (registry code 41508, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 17273871 - Engines: Lycoming O-320 160 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Fast Aviation - Registered owner: John G. Vargas - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: VNY, VAN NUYS, CA - Destination: SBA - Airport: SBA, Santa Barbara, runway 25, 6,052 × 150 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 28; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 241 total, 17 in this make and model, 187 as pilot in command, 25 in the last 90 days, 8 in the last 30 days, 5 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 260° at 10 knots ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19980408021289A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980408021289A), Apr 8, 1998: Cessna 172N, Santa Barbara, CA, Substantial damage. Hard landing blew nose tire at sba repaired. Returned EMT. Found damaged firewall and cowl. Beyond repair quoted. (.19) on April 8, 1998, at 1645 hours pacific… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.