Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecna P2004 BRAVO accident near Avalon, California, April 9, 2017
On April 9, 2017 at about 6:30 pm local time, a 2005 Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecna P2004 BRAVO, registered N54EB, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Avalon, California (Catalina airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain the runway heading and the improper landing flare during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 9, 2017 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Avalon, California · Catalina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecna P2004 BRAVO NO SERIES, built 2005 · all P2004 BRAVOs on the register
- Registration
- N54EB · no longer on the register · serial 029
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, just before touchdown, a wind gust lifted the right wing and drifted the airplane to the left of the runway. He added that the airplane touched down and ballooned in a nose-high attitude. The pilot added power and lowered the nose "to prevent a stall," and the airplane landed hard. The left wingtip struck the ground, and airplane came to rest in the grass to the left of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that the wind was light and variable.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during landing defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing
- Hard landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Heading/course › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 130 hours in all; 7 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 55 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 28, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 359.4 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 24, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912ULS (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OKB Oceanside CA at 5:30 pm
- Destination: AVX Avalon CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 3,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 20,000 ft; a few clouds at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 6:50 pm from KTOA, 24 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number GAA17CA222.