Cessna 172P N97462

Summary

On 1 April 1993 at about 04:23 local time, a Cessna 172P registered N97462, operated by Business Aircraft Center, Inc, was involved in an accident near Livermore, California, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

1 April 1993 at 04:23

Classification

Accident

Location

Livermore, California, United States

Coordinates

37.6801, -121.7503

Aircraft

Cessna 172P

Registration

N97462

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Business Aircraft Center, Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Columbia → Hayward

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

LAX93FA160

4 people died.

THE PILOT'S DECISION TO ATTEMPT VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S LACK OF RECENT INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE, THE RAIN AND HIGH WIND CONDITIONS IN THE AREA.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

DURING A NIGHT FLIGHT, THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH HILLY TERRAIN IN A NEAR WINGS LEVEL ATTITUDE. WEATHER IN THE AREA AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS FOUND DURING THE ENGINE INSPECTION ON SITE. THE PILOT WAS INSTRUMENT RATED, BUT A REVIEW OF LOGBOOK ENTRIES REVEALED THAT HE WAS NOT INSTRUMENT CURRENT. THE PILOT HAD CONTACTED THE CONTROL TOWER AND REQUESTED A TRANSITION THROUGH THEIR AREA, AND THEN ADVISED THE TOWER HE WAS GOING TO PERFORM A 180 DEGREE TURN. NO FURTHER TRANSMISSIONS WERE RECEIVED BY THE TOWER.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.