| Crash location | 34.258333°N, 118.414167°W |
| Nearest city | Pacoima, CA
34.262502°N, 118.427027°W 0.8 miles away |
| Tail number | N4936D |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 29 Dec 2013 |
| Aircraft type | Cessna 172N |
| Additional details: | None |
On December 29, 2013, at 1253 Pacific standard time, a Cessna 172N, N4936D, impacted power transmission wires during an aborted landing at Whiteman Airport (WHP), Pacoima, California. Vista Air, Inc., operated the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The certified flight instructor (CFI) and the private pilot receiving instruction (PUI) sustained minor injuries; the airplane sustained substantial damage due to impact forces. The local instructional flight departed Pacoima about 1200. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.
During an attempted landing on runway 30, the airplane touched down on the runway adjacent to intersection Delta and then became airborne again. The air traffic controller heard the engine sounds increase as the airplane turned 90 degrees left. Shortly thereafter, witnesses reported that the airplane's left wing collided with power transmission lines. The airplane then descended into a building in a used car sales lot.
The CFI reported that due to the high winds, he was the flying pilot during the landing. He stated that as the airplane touched down, they hit a gust of wind and became airborne. The airplane drifted left of runway centerline and the CFI added power in an attempt to crab into the wind and avoid the air traffic control tower. The airplane continued to drift left and collided with power transmission lines.
The pilot not flying estimated that upon encountering the wind gust that the airplane climbed about 50 feet above the runway, he further stated that on the attempted go-around that "another gust of wind hit us and we turned on our side. We dropped like a rock into a set of power lines."
The reported winds at WHP during the timeframe of the accident were ranging from 350 degrees at 24 knots, 320 degrees at 22 knots, 360 degrees at 26 knots, and 360 degrees at 25 knots, respectively.
The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
The flight instructor’s inadequate compensation for the gusting crosswind conditions during landing, which resulted in a loss of airplane control.