Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Santa Monica Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Los Angeles, California 90064
Friday, March 11, 1994 18:49 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
DURING INITIAL CLIMB AT 300 FEET AGL, THE UPPER COWL RAISED UP BETWEEN 1 AND 2 INCHES. THE PILOT REPORTED HE STAYED IN THE PATTERN. ON BASE LEG, THE UPPER COWL DISLODGED FURTHER FROM THE ACFT AND PRODUCED DRAG. UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE, A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE DURING WHICH THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH POWER LINES AND HOMES 1/2 MILE FROM THE RUNWAY. PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT, THE PILOT, WHO OWNED THE ACFT AND WHO WORKED AS AN A & P MECHANIC, HAD REMOVED AND PARTIALLY REPLACED THE ENGINE COWL. A FRIEND OF THE PILOT, WHO ALSO HELD AN A & P CERTIFICATE AND WAS A PILOT, ASSISTED BY PLACING THE LEFT SIDE OF THE UPPER COWL BACK ON THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE SURVIVING PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD NOT OBSERVED THE PILOT-RATED PASSENGER PHYSICALLY SECURE THE LEFT SIDE OF THE UPPER COWL TO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. DURING THE WRECKAGE EXAM, ALL OF THE FIRE-DAMAGED COWL STRUCTURE WAS FOUND AT THE CRASH SITE EXCEPT FOR THE TWO FORWARD-POINTED UPPER COWL ENGAGEMENT PINS AND THEIR SUPPORTING STRUCTURE. ALSO NOT FOUND WAS THE NYLON GROMMET/BUSHING WHICH NORMALLY WAS SEATED IN THE LOWER COWL'S LEFT SIDE FORWARD PLATE ASSEMBLY.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the failure of the upper engine compartment cowl to remain attached to the lower cowl during initial climb as a result of inadequate maintenance and replacement practices by the aircraft owner.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/11/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1849 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | LOS ANGELES |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 90064 |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | SANTA MONICA MUNICIPAL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | SMO |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 31 |
| Airport Elevation | 175 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1850 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 211 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | SMO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 175 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Bright |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 20000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 20 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 270 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1271 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 11 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1901 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 6 2000 10:50AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8129W |
| NTSB Number | LAX94FA159 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28-180 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-28-180 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-2239 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2400 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 13 1994 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 11 |
| Airframe Hours | 3584 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | DAVID R. THOMPSON |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 5901 TELLEFSON ROAD |
| Aircraft Owner City | CULVER CITY |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 90230 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | DAVID R. THOMPSON |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 5901 TELLEFSON ROAD |
| Operator City | CULVER CITY |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 90230 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | SMO |
| Departure City | SANTA MONICA |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1845 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 21 |
| Runway Length | 4987 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |