Piper PA-28-181 accident near Santa Monica, California, December 4, 2004
On December 4, 2004 at about 6:03 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N253FD, was substantially damaged in an accident near Santa Monica, California (Santa Monica Municipal airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the certified flight instructor's inadequate supervision, inadequate compensation for the tailwind condition, and delayed remedial action, which resulted in a runway overrun and collision with a ditch.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 4, 2004 · about 6:03 pm local time
- Place
- Santa Monica, California · Santa Monica Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N253FD · registry record · serial 28-43321
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane overran the runway and collided with a ditch during landing. The certified flight instructor (CFI) and student were on their last power-off approach. Approximately 2,500 feet down the 4,987-foot runway, the airplane continued to float. By the time it touched down, the CFI felt that it was too late to initiate a go-around procedure. The CFI applied the brakes, retracted the flaps, and turned the airplane to the right to avoid a ditch. An unedited surface weather observation (METAR) was issued for the airport about 20 minutes prior to the accident. The winds were reported from 070 degrees at 6 knots. The following METAR issued about 40 minutes following the accident reported winds from 100 degrees at 7 knots, with directional variations between 070 and 190 degrees. The CFI reported that she encountered no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,953 hours in all; 423 in this make and model; 109 in the last 90 days; 52 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 70 hours in all; 70 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Justice Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: SMO Santa Monica CA
- Destination: SMO Santa Monica CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 4,987 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.