Cessna 172R N996RA

Summary

On 10 July 2021 at about 19:17 local time, a Cessna 172R registered N996RA, operated by Christiansen Aviation Inc, was involved in an accident near Petaluma, California, United States. 4 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 July 2021 at 19:17

Classification

Accident

Location

Petaluma, California, United States

Nearest airport

Petaluma Muni (O69)

Coordinates

38.2558, -122.6013

Aircraft

Cessna 172R

Registration

N996RA

Category

Airplane

Year built

1998

Engines

1

Operator

Christiansen Aviation Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

San Carlos → Shelter Cove

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR21LA269

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s improper landing flare which resulted in a hard landing following a partial loss of electrical power. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s distraction and hampered visual function.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, about 20 minutes into the cross-country flight, the airplane experienced a partial electrical failure which caused the intercom, radio, transponder, flaps, and some engine instruments to go offline, although the voltmeter and ammeter were still showing normal readings. The pilot cycled both the master and avionics master switches, with no improvement, and decided to divert to the nearest untowered airport. During the descent and approach, he became distracted multiple times as he heard intermittent short "blips" from the intercom. The pilot entered a right downwind entry into the traffic pattern and planned for a no-flap landing. He overshot to the right of the runway centerline as they turned from the base to final leg. He was able to maneuver to rejoin the centerline by the time they reached short final. They passed over the runway threshold with a left crosswind, and as the pilot initiated the flare, he felt the airplane sink aggressively, and he realized that he had initiated the flare too high. The airplane drifted to the right of the runway surface and landed hard in the grass in a nose high attitude. The lower fuselage and wing strut was substantially damaged. The pilot reported that an on-airport mechanic examined the airplane after the accident and was not able to find any issues with the electrical system. The pilot reported that, he had significant astigmatism and myopia, and used contact lenses for all previous flights, however the accident flight was the first time he had flown with eyeglasses after experiencing a contact lens malfunction that morning. He also reported that although he had performed multiple no-flap landings in the past, the accompanying change in forward visibility over the nose in concert with the use of eyeglasses instead of contact lenses, resulted in a changed sight picture and reduced peripheral vision.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.