Cessna 172 N20356

Summary

On 28 March 1989 at about 21:53 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N20356, operated by Yehiam Kanski, was involved in an accident near Santa Barbara, California, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 March 1989 at 21:53

Classification

Accident

Location

Santa Barbara, California, United States

Coordinates

34.4093, -119.6997

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N20356

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Yehiam Kanski

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Van Nuys → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX89LA139

1 person was seriously injured.

THE IMPROPER INFLIGHT PLANNING/DECISIONS BY THE PLT WHEN HE DECIDED TO INTENTIONALLY FLY LOW OVER ROUGH WATER IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN AND THE PARTIAL LOSS OF POWER FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN OBSERVED FOR SEVERAL MINUTES FLYING VERY LOW OVER THE WATER. AT ONE POINT, IT STRUCK THE WATER BUT RECOVERED AND FLEW A BIT HIGHER ABOVE THE WATER FOR ANOTHER MILE. THE AIRPLANE DID NOT TURN TOWARD THE SHORELINE AND IT APPEARED TO GLIDE NOSE DOWN INTO THE WATER. THE STUDENT PILOT SAID HE WAS DESCENDING TOWARD THE WATER AT 400 TO 600 FPM WHEN THE ENGINE BACKFIRED. HE SAID THAT HE APPLIED CARBURETOR HEAT BUT THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN ROUGH AND WOULD PRODUCE ONLY 1,200 RPM. HE FLEW AT THIS POWER SETTING FOR A MILE OR MORE, JUST ABOVE THE WATER, AND EVEN STRUCK THE TOPS OF THE WAVES AT TIMES. THE WHEELS STRUCK THE WATER AND THE AIRPLANE BOUNCED, AND THEN NOSED INTO THE WATER. THE WRECKAGE WAS NOT RECOVERED.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.