Tecnam P92 accident near Watsonville, California, October 22, 2013
On October 22, 2013 at about 9:10 pm local time, a 2009 Tecnam P92, registered N137LM, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Watsonville, California (Watsonville Municipal Arpt airport). It was a personal 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 pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 22, 2013 · about 9:10 pm local time
- Place
- Watsonville, California · Watsonville Municipal Arpt · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Tecnam P92 EA, built 2009
- Registration
- N137LM · registry record · serial 1252
- 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 while in the traffic pattern, the airplane's right rudder stopped responding. She aligned the airplane with the runway for landing and touched down long. During the landing roll, the pilot lost directional control and the airplane departed the runway, and continued through the grass and dirt for about 500 feet. The front main landing gear collapsed and the airplane came to a stop on its nose. The engine's firewall and the tube frame behind the firewall were substantially damaged. A postaccident examination of the airframe revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
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 on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
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 › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 220 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 160 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 25, 2013
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,338 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 5, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912 ULS (piston); 1,287 hours total
- Operator: Ocean Air Flight Services, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: WVI Watsonville CA at 8:05 pm
- Destination: WVI Watsonville CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 20, 4,501 ft by 149 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from WVI
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.