Cessna 172L N19770

Summary

On 7 March 2003 at about 23:00 local time, a Cessna 172L registered N19770 was involved in an accident near Rosamond, 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.

Date

7 March 2003 at 23:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Rosamond, California, United States

Nearest airport

Skyotee Airport (CL74)

Coordinates

34.8167, -118.4008

Aircraft

Cessna 172L

Registration

N19770

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Rosamond → Bullhead City

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX03FA109

2 people died.

the pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed during the takeoff initial climb, which resulted in a stall and impact with flat level terrain. Also causal was the pilot's impaired judgment due to recent use of cocaine, and ethanol.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Evaluation of the ground scars and impact signatures on the wreckage established that during the takeoff initial climb from a private dirt airstrip, the airplane stalled and struck the ground in a right wing, nose low attitude, and tumbled. The airplane was destroyed in the post-impact fire. Power lines were noted at the departure end of the runway. The airframe and engine were inspected with no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operations. Cocaine was detected in the pilot's blood, suggesting use within the 4 to 6 hours preceding the accident. Cocaethylene, a substance that is formed only when cocaine and ethanol are simultaneously present, was found in the liver.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.