- Date
- April 1, 2023, 13:43 local (20:43 UTC)
- Place
- Santa Ana, CA · KSNA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1399UCessna 172M
- Defining event
- Landing: Aircraft wake turb encounter
- 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
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20230401008269A
- Case key
- 106999
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 flight instructor’s failure to maintain clearance from a commercial airliner which resulted in an encounter with wake turbulence and subsequent loss of control resulting in impact with terrain.
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 flight instructor reported that while practicing crosswind landings with his student, the tower advised the pilot of wake turbulence from a commercial airliner on the parallel runway. They flew a steeper approach but noticed a moderate right quartering headwind on the windsock. At about 100 feet above ground level the airplane encountered wake turbulence and banked sharply to the right. Both pilots added full left aileron and applied backpressure to the yoke as the airplane contacted the terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1399U
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17267070
- Built
- 1976
- Airframe hours
- 9,779
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Oc 172 Group LLC
- Registered owner
- Oc 172 Group LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 13, 2012
- Departed
- KSNA · Santa Ana, CA
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- KSNA · John Wayne/Orange County Airport, runway 20L, 2,886 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, ADS-B
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 21
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 8, 2021
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 891.5 total · 890.5 in this make and model · 862.3 as pilot in command · 175.2 in the last 90 days · 64.5 in the last 30 days · 7.5 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 26
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 0 total · 0 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Turbulence
- Severe
- Observed at
- KSNA
- METAR
- KSNA 012053Z 22009KT 10SM FEW035 FEW200 19/07 A3012 RMK AO2 SLP199 T01890072 56007
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 7, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 8.2 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.
Other investigations on N1399U · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.