1990 Cessna 172 Emergency Landing at Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (N51362)

Incident Overview and Flight Details On September 7, 1990, at approximately 1804 Pacific Daylight Time, a Cessna 172 with registration N51362, operated by the Alameda Aero Club, experienced a loss of engine power while on approach to Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA) in California. The personal flight had originated from San Carlos, California, at approximately 1600 on the same day. A visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan was filed for the operation, and visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the incident. The aircraft was carrying a private pilot and one passenger. ## Emergency Declaration and Forced Landing The pilot reported that at an altitude of 1,700 feet mean sea level and seven miles from SBA, the aircraft's throttle control became disconnected, leaving the engine capable of producing only idle power. In response, the pilot declared an emergency and executed a forced landing on a golf course located approximately 1.5 miles west of SBA. During the rollout, the aircraft collided with a berm, nosed over, and sustained substantial damage. ## Casualties and Damage Assessment Neither the private pilot nor the passenger was injured during the personal flight. The aircraft was substantially damaged as a result of the collision with the berm and the subsequent nose-over event. The incident occurred under visual meteorological conditions, and the flight was conducted under a filed VFR flight plan.