- Date
- August 12, 2021, 10:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Santa Monica, CA · Airport Environment
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N643JKCzech Sport Piper Sport
- Defining event
- Landing: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20210812013699A
- Case key
- 103699
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 student pilot’s improper landing flare.
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 solo student pilot reported that, shortly after takeoff, about 250 ft above ground level (agl) she discovered that the cockpit canopy was unlocked. She notified the tower controller of the situation and requested to land. While on final approach the airplane was high, so she reduced power to glide to the runway. She attempted to level off on the glide path however the airplane continued to descend and impacted the runway in a nose down attitude. The lower fuselage and right wing were substantially damaged. The operator reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N643JK
- Reported as
- Czech Sport Piper Sport (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- P1001019
- Built
- 2010
- Airframe hours
- 1,546.7
- Engine
- Rotax 912ULS SERIES, 99 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Santa Monica Flyers Inc
- Registered owner
- Santa Monica Flyers Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 2, 2021 · 50.5 hours before
- Departed
- KSMO · Santa Monica, CA
- Destination
- KSBD · San Bernardino, CA
- Airport
- SMO · Santa Monica, runway 21, 3,500 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Airframe parachute, ADS-B, Electronic primary flight display
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
- 28
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 62.1 total · 60.5 in this make and model · 4.8 as pilot in command · 50.2 in the last 90 days · 15.3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.94 inHg
- Observed at
- KSMO
- METAR
- SA 12/08/2021 17:51-> METAR KSMO 121751Z 21006KT 10SM CLR 25/17 A3000 RMK AO2 SLP158 T02500172 10250 20189 51007=
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 9, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 11.1 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.