Cessna 172N N738NN
19 May 2009 · Long Beach, California, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 19 May 2009 at about 01:01 local time, a Cessna 172N registered N738NN, operated by Aero Aviation LLC, was involved in an accident near Long Beach, California, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 01:01
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Long Beach, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 33.6589, -118.1967
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N
- Registration
- N738NN
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Aero Aviation LLC
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Long Beach → Long Beach
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- WPR09FA248
People
3 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The failure of both pilots to see and avoid each other's aircraft.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
A Cessna 172N and a Cessna 310P collided in flight in a common practice area for airwork. A witness was flying on a southerly heading within the immediate area of the collision and noticed a silhouette of an airplane, which appeared to be a Cessna 172 at his 10 to 11 o'clock position. The airplane appeared to be performing maneuvers and making turns in a counter-clockwise direction, followed by a turn in a clockwise direction. The witness stated that he noticed another airplane entering the area from the west, traveling at a high rate of speed on an easterly heading. He added that he was unable to see what kind of airplane it was and only saw a "black object" due to the sun being almost on the horizon. The witness continued to watch both airplanes and noted the fast moving airplane was continuing on an easterly heading while the Cessna 172N was still performing maneuvers on a southerly heading around the same altitude. The witness observed both airplanes collide, disintegrate into small pieces, and fall to the ocean below. Review of recorded radar data revealed that the Cessna 310P was maneuvering within a common practice area about 5 miles south of the shoreline at various altitudes. The data depicted the Cessna 172N on a southerly course at an altitude of 3,000 feet msl while conducting a series of shallow left and right turns prior to performing a left 360-degree turn to a southerly heading. The Cessna 310P was on an easterly heading at an altitude of 3,000 feet msl for about 2 minutes prior to the collision. The radar data depicted the two airplanes converging nearly perpendicular to one another about five miles south of the shoreline. During examination of the recovered wreckage, transfer marks were identified consistent with the radar-derived collision angle. Both airplanes were operating under visual conditions when they collided.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cessna 172N | N738NN | Aero Aviation LLC | Substantial |
| Cessna 310P | N777AL | Gary D Gierczak | Substantial |
Other Cessna 172 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Apr 2009 | Cessna 172P | Livermore, California, United States | Wollard Aviation Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 22 Apr 2009 | Cessna 172E | Tucson, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 Apr 2009 | Cessna 172 | York, Pennsylvania, United States | Av-Ed Flight School | No injuries | - |
| 26 Feb 2009 | Cessna 172N | Broomfield, Colorado, United States | Alliance Flight Training, LLC | No injuries | - |
| 25 Feb 2009 | Cessna 172N | Johnson County Exec Airport, Kansas, United States | Registration Pending | No injuries | - |
| 16 Jul 2009 | Cessna 172M | Thermopolis, Wyoming, United States | Round Top Flyers LLC | Serious injuries | - |
All 12,209 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Dec 2009 | Piper PA-38-112 | Ojai, California, United States | Aviation Pacific Inc | Fatal | 2 |
| 28 Feb 2009 | Piper PA-28R-200 | Fallbrook, California, United States | M.Y. Air Corp | No injuries | - |
| 28 Feb 2009 | Mooney M20E | Rio Linda, California, United States | David Michaud | Fatal | 2 |
| 29 Nov 2009 | Curtiss-Wright TRAVEL AIR 4000 | Torrance, California, United States | Smith Richard Charles | No injuries | - |
| 23 Aug 2009 | Piper PA-24-260 | Santa Barbara, California, United States | Kris S Michel | No injuries | - |
| 24 Aug 2009 | Antares Us MA-34R | San Jose, California, United States | Peter C Marsh | Serious injuries | - |