Cessna 172S N2436F

Summary

On 23 June 2008 at about 00:10 local time, a Cessna 172S registered N2436F, operated by San Diego Flight Training International, Inc., was involved in an accident near Oceanside, California, United States. 3 people were on board and 2 died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 June 2008 at 00:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Oceanside, California, United States

Nearest airport

Oceanside Municipal Airport (OKB)

Coordinates

33.2261, -117.4542

Aircraft

Cessna 172S

Registration

N2436F

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

San Diego Flight Training International, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Long Beach → San Diego

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX08LA191

2 people died.

Failure of the pilot to regain airplane control during an intentional stall/spin maneuver.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Witnesses flying in a second airplane reported that the two airplanes left their home airport earlier in the day. They flew to another local area airport for a snack where they discussed the return flight (the accident flight). The accident pilot told his peers that he was going to do a spin on the way back to their home airport. He said that he had done spins before with a flight instructor and a passenger in the back. The two airplanes departed the local airport and were en route back to the home airport when the accident airplane radioed the other airplane indicating that he was setting up for the stall/spin maneuver. The pilots in the other airplane watched as the accident airplane began a climb from 5,500 feet to 7,500 feet and commenced with the stall/spin. After one full turn, the airplane returned to normal flight. The accident pilot radioed the other pilots and told them he was going to do another stall/spin, and was going to let it spin a "little more before he start[ed] the recovery." The witnesses observed the accident airplane set up for another spin, enter the spin, and watched as the airplane continued to spin until it crashed into the ocean. According to Cessna, intentional spins are prohibited when the rear seat(s) are occupied. Three people were on board the accident airplane. The airplane and two of its occupants were not located despite efforts by the United States Coast Guard and a private diving company.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.