Cessna 172N N4783J
25 May 1993 · Lompoc, California, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 25 May 1993 at about 09:30 local time, a Cessna 172N registered N4783J, operated by Bermuda Air Services, was involved in an accident near Lompoc, California, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 09:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Lompoc, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 34.5991, -120.3907
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N
- Registration
- N4783J
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Bermuda Air Services
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Palm Springs → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- IMC
- Light
- Night/Dark
- NTSB number
- LAX93FA223
People
2 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
VFR FLIGHT BY THE PILOT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC), AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALTITUDE (OR CLEARANCE) FROM MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. FACTORS RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE LOW CEILING, FOG, DRIZZLE, OBSCURATION, AND MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED PALM SPRINGS AIRPORT AT ABOUT 2335 HOURS ON A FLIGHT TO LOMPOC, CALIFORNIA. AN ELT SIGNAL WAS RECEIVED AT ABOUT 0930 HOURS THE FOLLOWING MORNING BY NEARBY AIR FORCE BASE PERSONNEL. A SEARCH WAS INITIATED, AND THE AIRPLANE WAS LOCATED AT ABOUT 1310 HOURS. IMPACT OCCURRED ON A HILLSIDE ABOUT 5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE AIRPORT. WITNESSES IN THE AREA REPORTED THAT THE MOUNTAIN TOPS NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE WERE OBSCURED WITH NEAR ZERO VISIBILITY. THE AIRPLANE HIT A HILL AT THE 1487 FOOT LEVEL, APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET FROM THE TOP OF THE HILL. THE PILOT BEGAN THE FLIGHT AFTER WORKING FROM 1500 HOURS TO 2330 HOURS. HE FILED A VFR FLIGHT PLAN, BUT DID NOT ACTIVATE IT. THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED TAKING OFF ON A CLOSED RUNWAY AT PALM SPRINGS AIRPORT. THE PILOT HAD 2 HOURS OF ACTUAL INSTRUMENT TIME. THE NDB-B APPROACH PLATE FOR LOMPOC, CALIFORNIA WAS FOUND CLIPPED OPEN IN THE AIRCRAFT.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Cessna 172 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Oct 1993 | Cessna 172F | Co. Springs, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Jan 1993 | Cessna 172P | Sun City, California, United States | Hiser Helicopters, Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
| 4 Sep 1993 | Cessna 172P | Pembroke, Virginia, United States | Air Chesterfield Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
| 18 Nov 1993 | Cessna 172RG | Santa Ana, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 Oct 1993 | Cessna 172K | Jacksonville, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 8 May 1993 | Cessna 172 | Towanda, Pennsylvania, United States | Glenn E. Murphy | Serious injuries | - |
All 12,209 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Jul 1993 | Cessna 310H | Lancaster, California, United States | Yehiem Konski | Fatal | 6 |
| 14 Nov 1993 | Cessna 182 | Colusa, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 31 Jul 1993 | Robinson R44 | El Monte, California, United States | Benjamin F. Venti, SR. | Fatal | 3 |
| 17 Nov 1993 | Piper PA-38-112 | Fresno, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 21 Jan 1993 | Beechcraft A35 | Tulare, California, United States | Rent and Lease Programs | Fatal | 2 |
| 7 Aug 1993 | Beechcraft E35 | Big Bear, California, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |