Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Santa Barbara, California 93117
Friday, September 7, 1990 18:04 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

ON SEPTEMBER 7, 1990, AT ABOUT 1804 PDT, A CESSNA 172, N51362, OPERATED BY THE ALAMEDA AERO CLUB, EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER ON APPROACH TO THE SANTA BARBARA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, CALIFORNIA (SBA). THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AT 1700 FEET MSL AND 7 MILES FROM SBA, THE AIRCRAFT'S THROTTLE CONTROL BECAME DISCONNECTED AND THE ENGINE WOULD ONLY PRODUCE IDLE POWER. HE DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND LANDED ON A GOLF COURSE ABOUT 1-1/2 MILES WEST OF SBA. DURING ROLLOUT, THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH A BERM, NOSED OVER, AND WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. NEITHER THE PRIVATE PILOT NOR THE PASSENGER WAS INJURED DURING THE PERSONAL FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME, AND A VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM SAN CARLOS, CA, ON SEPTEMBER 7, 1990 AT ABOUT 1600.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

A DISCONNECT OF THE THROTTLE CONTROL.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 9/7/1990
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 1804
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City SANTA BARBARA
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 93117
Event Date Year 1990
Event Date Month 9
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1804 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID SBA
Elevation of weather observation facility 10
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation PDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 15
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 28
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 15
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 230
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 5
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 0
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 2
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 458
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Sep 7 1990 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1835
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 52874
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 5:22PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N51362
NTSB Number LAX90LA314
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed VFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 172P
Aircraft Series Identifier 172P
Aircraft Serial Number 17274302
Certified Max Gross Weight 2150
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 Unknown
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name EUGENE SIMONALLE
Aircraft Owner Street Address 205STILES ROAD
Aircraft Owner City SOUTHBURY
Aircraft Owner State CT
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 06488
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name ALAMEDA AERO CLUB
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address P.O. BOX 1043
Operator City ALAMEDA
Operator State CA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 94501
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 No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code SQL
Departure City SAN CARLOS
Departure State CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1600
Departure Time Zone PDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code SBA
Destination City SANTA BARBARA
Destination State CA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length 0
Runway Width 0
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --