Amateur-built LONG EZ accident near Santa Monica, California, February 26, 1990
On February 26, 1990 at about 7:40 pm local time, a amateur-built LONG EZ, registered N100PY, was destroyed in an accident near Santa Monica, California (Santa Monica airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S INFLIGHT LOSS OF CONTROL DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 26, 1990 · about 7:40 pm local time
- Place
- Santa Monica, California · Santa Monica · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built LONG EZ
- Registration
- N100PY · registry record · serial 344
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AT THE CONCLUSION OF A LOCAL FLIGHT, THE PILOT ENTERED DOWNWIND FOR LANDING. THE TOWER CLEARED THE AIRCRAFT FOR LANDING AND THE PILOT STATED HE WOULD BE MAKING A 'LONG DOWNWIND.' TWO MINUTES LATER, THE PILOT TOLD THE TOWER THAT HE HAD LOST VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY AND WOULD BE MAKING A GO-AROUND. THREE MINUTES LATER, THE TOWER CONTROLLER QUERIED THE FLIGHT ABOUT ITS POSTION AND THE PILOT RESPONDED THAT 'ACTUALLY I CAN'T TELL.' THAT WAS THE LAST COMMUNICATION WITH THE FLIGHT. THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND FLOATING ABOUT 4 MILES OFF SHORE. A HELICOPTER PILOT FLYING IN THE VICINITY REPORTED THAT A DENSE FOG BANK WAS MOVING ON SHORE AT THE TIME WITH TOPS AT ABOUT 900 FEET AND BASES AT ABOUT 400 FEET. THE WITNESS SAID THE INFLIGHT VISIBILITY WAS ONE HALF TO THREE QUARTERS OF A MILE BENEATH THE FOG BANK.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,998 hours in all; 300 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 390 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,550 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E3D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SMO Santa Monica CA at 7:00 pm
- Destination: SMO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 4,987 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:16 pm from SMO, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 LAX90DUD02.