Monterey Peninsula Airport, Monterey, California

Airport Location: The Monterey Peninsula Airport is 3 miles south east of Monterey, California.

Airport History:

Monterey Airport Today:  Airline service; Military operations;



Airport Services & Amenities: Delmonte Aviation; Monterey Bay Aviation; Monterey Jet Center; Fuel; Chevron Texaco; 100LL, Jet; Restaurant on the field; Golden Tee; Public transportation; limousines; taxis; rental cars available; Lodging within 3 miles;

Special Events and Attractions: Golf; Laguna Beach Speedway; Monterey Bay Aquarium;

Airport Area Accident History:

Accident occurred Saturday, April 04, 2009 in Monterey, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 6/22/2009
Aircraft: American Champion 7GCAA, registration: N224RA
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.
The wind was variable and shifting from onshore to offshore. After the run-up, the pilot taxied to the hold short line and noted that the wind continued to shift. Immediately after clearing the pilot for takeoff on runway 10R, the controller told the pilot that the winds had shifted and now were from 330 degrees at 6 knots. The pilot noted that she would be taking off with a left quartering tailwind. During the ground roll, she pushed the stick forward to bring the tail up, then she eased up on the forward pressure and the airplane became airborne momentarily. The pilot was attempting to get the airplane into ground effect for more airspeed, but the wind changed direction again and the airplane yawed to the left. She tried to correct, but stated that there was no lift and no altitude, and the airplane was in a nose-up attitude. The nose quickly dropped to the right, and the airplane came to a rest on its belly off to the right side of the runway. The
tail wheel and left gear collapsed, the left wing tip was damaged, and the prop struck the ground. The pilot said that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane.
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On November 25, 2008, about 1745 Pacific standard time, a Piper PA-28-180 airplane, N2383R, was substantially damaged when it impacted trees and subsequently terrain following a loss of engine power while on final approach to the Monterey Peninsula Airport (MRY), Monterey, California. The airplane was registered to private individuals and operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The private pilot sustained minor injuries and his passenger sustained serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight. The cross-country flight originated from Calexico International Airport (CXL), Calexico, California, about 1430 with an intended destination of MRY.

The pilot reported that after an uneventful flight, he entered the traffic pattern for runway 10 left. As he turned from downwind to base at an altitude of about 800 feet above ground level (agl), the engine lost power. The pilot stated that he realized he "had forgotten to switch the fuel tanks and had run the right fuel tank dry." He immediately switched to the left fuel tank and noted that he already had the fuel boost pump on in anticipation for landing. Despite his efforts, the engine did not restart and the airplane descended into trees and subsequently impacted the ground.

The pilot further reported that prior to departure from CXL; he had topped off the airplane with fuel in Mexicali, Mexico. He then flew 15 minutes to CXL where he underwent an inspection by the US Customs and Border Protection for re-entry into the United States.

The pilot added in the Operator/Owner Safety Recommendation section of the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report Form, "if I had used my landing checklist, I would have not run the right tank dry because I would have turned to the fullest tank for landing."

Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the airplane came to rest in a vertical position within a parking lot. The right wing was partially separated from the fuselage and exhibited structural damage. The horizontal stabilator was also structurally damaged. During removal of the airplane, recovery crews reported that they drained 24 ounces of fuel from the left wing fuel tank and 8 ounces of fuel from the right wing fuel tank.
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Accident occurred Tuesday, September 14, 2004 in Monterey, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 12/28/2004
Aircraft: Piper PA-32R-301, registration: N5300R
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.
The airplane drifted left, off the taxiway centerline, and the left wing struck a yellow post that guarded a fire hydrant. While taxing outbound from the airplane's hangar, bright morning sunglare distracted the pilot. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: the pilot's failure to maintain proper alignment with the taxiway and adequate obstacle clearance. A factor was the bright morning sunglare. ===
Accident occurred Tuesday, September 09, 2003 in Monterey, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 12/28/2004
Aircraft: Cessna 210L, registration: N93860
Injuries: 3 Serious.
The pilot reported a loss of engine power while on an instrument approach to an airport. He was unable to reach the airport, and collided with a tree short of the runway. Postaccident inspection disclosed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical anomalies with the airplane or its engine. Initial responders to the accident site noted an absence of fuel smell or visible fuel at the site, although one wing containing fuel tanks had separated during the accident. No evidence of any fuel stains were discovered anywhere on the airplane. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: The pilot’s inadequate in-flight planning/decision, which resulted in a loss of engine power during an instrument approach to land, and an in-flight collision with a tree and terrain. ===
Accident occurred Thursday, November 21, 2002 in Monterey, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 7/29/2004
Aircraft: Asmus EXEC 162F, registration: N162LC
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.
The pilot of the experimental helicopter executed an autorotation after a loss of engine power during cruise flight. The helicopter rolled over during the landing on a beach. The pilot stated the rollover was "probably due to tailwind and pilot technique." The reason for the loss of engine power was not determined. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: The loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. A factor in the accident was the pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during the forced landing. ===
Accident occurred Thursday, June 06, 2002 in MONTEREY, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 10/23/2002
Aircraft: Cessna 172S, registration: N748SP
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.
The airplane veered off the runway during takeoff; the nose gear collapsed aft and damaged the firewall and fuselage. While in the run-up area the pilot went through her checklist, and received an altitude alert message and a horn went off. She said she pushed every button she could to turn the alert off, but was unsuccessful. She taxied back to the hangar where her flight instructor popped the circuit breaker for the autopilot, which was giving the alert message. Once it was turned off, she taxied out to takeoff. The pilot began the takeoff roll and attempted to rotate, but the control yoke was not effective. The pilot slammed on the brakes, but the airplane departed the right side of the runway. The airplane had full nose down trim after the accident. The pilot said she did not know that she had to manually recycle the trim after pulling the circuit breaker. Section four of Supplement 15 to the Pilot Operating Handbook (POH) described normal procedures for the use of the autopilot. Paragraph A.2 contained a warning that the manual electric trim and autopilot were inoperative if the circuit breaker was pulled. Paragraph eight instructed the pilot to manually set the trim to the takeoff position. Section four of the POH described normal procedures. The before takeoff checklist instructed the pilot to insure that the elevator trim was set for takeoff.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: The pilot was unfamiliar with the airplane's systems and failed to set the elevator trim in accordance with the published checklist. ===
Accident occurred Wednesday, July 04, 2001 in Monterey, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 11/28/2001
Aircraft: Cessna 175, registration: N9287B
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.
The pilot reported that she made a normal approach and landing. The runway was 3,502 feet long by 60 feet wide. The traffic was light and she did not think wake turbulence was a factor. The landing seemed routine; however, she was surprised when the aircraft bounced and she attempted to "peg" the airplane to the runway. When the aircraft came to a stop, the propeller was damaged and the firewall and forward fuselage exhibited buckling damage. The surface wind was reported variable at 5 knots. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: The pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing. ===
Accident occurred Sunday, February 25, 2001 in MONTEREY, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 3/30/2004
Aircraft: Embraer EMB-120, registration: N288SW
Injuries: 1 Serious, 32 Uninjured.
The lone cabin attendant in the aft end of the airplane sustained a broken ankle when she was thrown to the floor after the airplane experienced an abrupt pitch change during descent. The captain had the autopilot engaged as the airplane descended through 10,000 feet mean sea level. The nose pitched down violently about 10 degrees, and then the nose pitched back up. The captain disengaged the autopilot and hand flew the airplane to touchdown. The Brasilia has two elevator trim actuators. The manufacturer discovered moisture and corrosion in some of the actuators submitted for repair after similar occurrences. They suspected that leaking seals allowed moisture into the actuators, which froze at altitude. In numerous instances, the actuators functioned properly after descent to lower altitudes and warmer temperatures, where the units thawed. One unit was dirty, corroded, and had overspray on it. It leaked from the shaft seals and autoloc seal. It failed the non-jamming stop test. It's two shaft housings contained moisture. The chain and pins were corroded, the packing had deteriorated, and the springs were weak. One side of the rollers was not chamfered, and staking warped some screws. The hub was worn and not functioning properly. The second unit was dirty and had overspray on it. The actuator leaked from the shaft seals. The actuator had excessive backlash and failed the tangential free play test. It's two shaft housings contained moisture. The chain, pins, shafts, and housings were corroded. The packing had deteriorated, and the bearings were rough and binding. The rollers only had one chamfered side. The shim was not with the unit. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: moisture contamination of the elevator trim actuators, which allowed the units to freeze at altitude resulting in an abrupt pitch change when the units thawed at lower altitudes. ===
Accident occurred Monday, January 15, 2001 in MONTEREY, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 11/30/2007
Aircraft: Cessna 172N, registration: N6452D
Injuries: 1 Fatal.
On January 15, 2001, a Cessna 172N, N6452D, was reported as missing. The personal flight originated from Concord, California, about 1420 hours Pacific standard time on a personal flight to an unknown destination. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot, believed to be the sole occupant, is missing. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. No flight plan had been filed. No additional information is available. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: Undetermined. ===
Accident occurred Sunday, October 15, 2000 in Monterey, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 8/6/2003
Aircraft: Beech 35-33, registration: N1344G
Injuries: 2 Fatal.
The non-instrument rated pilot, on a special visual flight rules departure clearance, encountered instrument meteorological conditions upon climbing into a layer of clouds. The pilot experienced spatial disorientation, commenced an uncontrolled descending spiral, and impacted the ocean. Prior to departure from the 254-foot msl airport, the pilot had been advised of the local weather conditions, which indicated the cloud base was about 700 feet agl, and the weather was deteriorating, with a decreasing ceiling and lowering visibility. A witness observed the airplane takeoff. The witness reported losing sight of the airplane seconds after it entered the base of the overlying marine layer of stratus clouds. Recorded radar data indicates that within 2 minutes the airplane had climbed to about 1,400 feet, whereupon it entered a right graveyard-like spiral from which it did not recover. Other witnesses located on the shoreline or in boats on the bay reported hearing the sound of an airplane in a dive and observed the airplane fly out of the clouds, diving steeply toward the water. The airplane pulled out of the dive, and then rolled inverted while climbing. Upon reaching the apex of its short climb it dropped suddenly into what appeared to be a straight downward dive and descended at a near 90-degree angle straight into the water. At no time did the airplane's engine sound as if it were under stress, faltering, or sputtering. The extensively crushed and fragmented wreckage was recovered from the bay and examined, with no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures identified.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: The pilot's inadequate in-flight planning/decision by which he conducted visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions and his failure to maintain control of the airplane. Contributing factors were low ceiling, spatial disorientation and lack of instrument rating. ===
Incident occurred Tuesday, July 18, 2000 in MONTEREY, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 2/20/2002
Aircraft: Canadair CL-65, registration: N97325
Injuries: 23 Uninjured.
While climbing through FL200, the autopilot pitch trim master caution warning light and the autopilot pitch trim nose down master caution warning light illuminated, and the trim froze at four units of trim. The autopilot was disengaged in accordance with AFM procedures to resolve the problem. The flight crew had to maintain about 2 inches of forward pressure on the flight control column to maintain level flight. The first officer reported that the stabilizer trim could be manually adjusted up and down, but at no point would the trim go below four units of trim. The Horizontal Stabilizer Trim Actuator (HSTA) and Motor Control Unit (MCU) were replaced, and the airplane underwent a series of diagnostic checks and a functional flight test with no mechanical anomalies noted. During removal of the HSTA and MCU a component was heard moving inside the HSTA. Teardown of the HSTA revealed that the Channel 1 bell gear had separated from its four mounting tabs. It was also noted that two of the main spur gear bolts had backed out, and were loose and out of position in the HSTA. The other two main spur gear bolts were finger-tight, but remained in place. SB 8396-27-02 was developed as a result of repeated bell gear failures, about 66 in the past 6 years. The SB called for replacement of the existing bell gear with a new stronger bell gear. SL 8396-27-01 resulted from repeated main spur gear bolts backing out in service. The main spur gear bolts now require Loctite be used with the new bolts and new torque values be applied to the bolts. Review of the operator's FAA approved Operating Specifications disclosed that compliance with manufacturers SB's and SL's is not mandatory.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this incident as follows: Fatigue failure of the bell gear in the horizontal stabilizer trim actuator system.


Airport Approach / Landing: