Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Altadena, California 91001
Thursday, October 16, 1986 19:38 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

WHILE RTRNG TO SANTA MONICA (SMO) FM A X-COUNTRY, THE PLTS DIVERTED TO VAN NUYS WHEN THE RWY AT SMO WAS CLOSED DUE TO A DISABLED ACFT. AFTER THE RWY WAS REOPENED, THEY FILED AN IFR FLT PLN TO CONT AT 5000' & TKOF AT NGT. DRG DEP, THE AR-3 CTLR PROVIDED RADAR VECTORS (FOR CLNC AT 3000'). AT 1926:39, AR-4 CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED/ACCEPTED AN AUTOMATED HANDOFF VIA AN ARTS-III COMPUTER KEYBOARD ENTRY. AR-3 PROVIDED ADNTL VECTORS TO THE FLT, THE LAST BEING A 080 DEG HDG (AT 1929:12), BUT DIDN'T TELL THE PLTS TO CHG TO AR-4'S FREQ. AT APRX 1933, THE AR-3 & AR-4 CTLRS WERE RELIEVED & BGN BRIEFING THEIR RELIEVING CTLRS. SOON THEREAFTER, THE FLT PASSED OVR THE ASR ANTENNA, THEN WAS DISPLAYED ON THE RADAR SCOPE IN A COAST MODE. IT REAPPEARED WITH A DATA TAG, THAT ERRONEOUSLY INDCD ANOTHER FACILITY HAD CTL OF THE FLT. THE RELIEVING CTLRS SAWTHE FULL DATA BLOCK ON THEIR SCOPES, BUT DISREGARDED IT, DUE TO THE ERRONEOUS CTL SYMBOL. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT HIT MTNS AT THE LAST ASSIGNED ALT OF 3000'. THE CFI HAD JUST MOVED FM FL TO CA & WAS ON HIS 2ND DAY OF EMPLOYMENT IN CA.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 10/16/1986
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 1938
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City ALTADENA
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 91001
Event Date Year 1986
Event Date Month 10
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 9
Degrees magnetic from airport 80
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Witness
Time of the weather observation 0
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 0
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) --
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
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 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1394
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Oct 16 1986 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2010
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 31785
Date of most recent change to record Feb 26 2001 8:07AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N1048F
NTSB Number LAX87MA018
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 172N
Aircraft Series Identifier 172N
Aircraft Serial Number 17272938
Certified Max Gross Weight 2250
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 Continuous Airworthiness
Date of Last Inspection Sep 18 1986 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name CHARLES C. PLANK
Aircraft Owner Street Address 21804 PACIFIC COAST HWY
Aircraft Owner City MALIBU
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 90265
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name AMERICAN FLYERS,INC.
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 3021 AIRPORT AVENUE
Operator City SANTA MONICA
Operator State CA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 90265
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) Instructional
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code VNY
Departure City VAN NUYS
Departure State CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1923
Departure Time Zone PDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code SMO
Destination City SANTA MONICA
Destination State CA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Cruise
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Feb 26 2001 8:07AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --