Event LAX03LA293

Factual narrative

On September 20, 2003, about 1440 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 182A, N9921B, collided with trees during an aborted landing at the Georgetown Airport, Georgetown, California. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot and one passenger sustained serious injuries; the airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight, and a visual flight rules flight plan had been filed. The cross-country flight originated from Fullerton Airport, Fullerton, California, about 1215, with a planned destination of Georgetown. During a telephone interview with a National Transportation Safety Board investigator, the pilot stated that while on final approach for runway 16, he configured the airplane with the wing flaps in the fully extended position. As he approached the runway, the pilot noted that the airplane was oriented above the normal glide path, and that the airspeed was excessive. He maneuvered the airplane into a forward slip in an effort to dissipate altitude and slow the airplane to the proper approach speed, establishing a proper glide path. The pilot further stated, that the airplane touched down hard, contacting the asphalt about halfway down the length of the runway. During the landing rollout, and upon reaching the apex of the natural upslope of the runway, the pilot was able to obtain a visual reference as to where the end of the runway was. He applied full brake pressure and the airplane skidded down the runway. Upon reaching the end of the runway, the pilot was unable to stop the airplane, and opted to execute an aborted landing by manipulating the throttle control to the full power setting. As the airplane departed the runway surface, the pilot initiated a slight left turn in an effort to avoid terrain; however, the airplane impacted trees. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane. In a written statement, an officer from the sheriff's department reported interviewing several witnesses. One witness, who was also a pilot, reported seeing the airplane touchdown far beyond the normal touchdown point with excessive speed. He observed the airplane skid down the runway continuing off the runway surface, and become momentarily airborne. The Airport/Facility Directory, Southwest U.S., indicated that Georgetown runway 16 was 2,980 feet long, 60 feet wide. The runway slope was not given, as that information is only published for those airports with an approved Federal Aviation Administration instrument approach. The airplane collided with trees during an aborted landing. While on final approach to the runway, the pilot noted that the airplane was above the runway's normal glide path and that the airspeed was faster than normal. The airplane touched down halfway down the length of the runway with excessive speed. As the airplane skidded down the runway, continuing off the runway surface, the pilot attempted to abort the landing by manipulating the throttle control to the full power setting. The airplane became airborne briefly before colliding with trees off the departure end of the runway. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with airplane. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12