No fatalities

Pilot Reports Turbulence-Induced Hard Landing Damages Fuselage

Santa Monica, CA, United States

On March 12, 2017, a SWEARINGEN SA227 TT TT was involved in an aviation accident near Santa Monica, CA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s unstabilized approach after encountering wake turbulence, which resulted in a hard landing. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 2026-08-03Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot reported turbulence on short final caused significant rolling, leading to a firm touchdown and substantial fuselage damage. No mechanical issues were noted.

Incident Overview

A pilot reported that during the final approach phase, while following a jet airplane, the aircraft encountered turbulence that induced significant rolling. The pilot stated that the airplane was not able to completely re-establish a stabilized approach prior to touching down. Subsequently, the airplane touched down more firmly than usual.

Damage and Inspection

After landing, the pilot taxied the airplane to the ramp without further incident. A post-flight inspection revealed that the fuselage sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Contributing factors

Causes

Descent/approach/glide path — Not attained/maintainedPilot

Other contributing factors

Effect on operation