Cessna 120 N76744

Summary

On 19 September 1983 at about 14:30 local time, a Cessna 120 registered N76744 was involved in an accident near Lone Pine, California, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

19 September 1983 at 14:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Lone Pine, California, United States

Nearest airport

Saline Valley

Coordinates

36.5598, -118.0500

Aircraft

Cessna 120

Registration

N76744

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Saline Valley → Bishop

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Dawn

NTSB number

LAX83LA449

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH A SAND BANK DURING TAKEOFF ROLL, A FUEL LEAK DEVELOPED AND THE ACFT WAS CONSUMED BY FIRE. THE PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING A TAKEOFF ON A DRY LAKE BED WHEN THE ACFT HIT A FEW SAND BUMPS. THE NOSE WENT UP IN THE AIR ANDTHE ACFT CAME BACK DOWN HARD ON THE LEFT MAIN GEAR. THE LEFT WING WAS DAMAGED, FUEL LEAKED AND A FLASH FIRE STARTED. THEOCCUPANTS AND A DOG GOT OUT UNINJURED BEFORE THE ACFT WAS BURNED. THE PILOT AND HIS FRIENDS HAD TRIED TO SMOOTH THE LAKE BED BEFORE THE FLT BY FILLING RUTS AND MEASURING OFF THE SMOOTHEST PART FOR THE TAKEOFF. THE AREA ALLOCATED WAS 900FT LONG. THE PILOT HAD DETERMINED THE TAKEOFF DISTANCE TO BE 830 FT FOR THE ACFT AT GROSS WEIGHT. HE STATED THAT HE THOUGHT THE ACFT WAS AIRBORNE WHEN THE LEFT WHEEL HIT THE RISE IN THE TERRAIN JUST BEYOND THE DEPARTURE END OF THE STRIP.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.