Cessna 172S N103VK

Summary

On 4 October 2025 at about 20:45 local time, a Cessna 172S registered N103VK, operated by Skyview Aviation, was involved in an accident near Lathrop, California, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause has been published yet; this accident is still under investigation.

Date

4 October 2025 at 20:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Lathrop, California, United States

Nearest airport

Open field (None)

Coordinates

37.8456, -121.4903

Aircraft

Cessna 172S

Registration

N103VK

Category

Airplane

Year built

2000

Engines

1

Operator

Skyview Aviation

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Tracy → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR26LA015

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. The investigation is still open; a final report usually follows one to two years after the accident.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that during a training flight in visual meteorological conditions at 900 ft mean sea level, an object impacted the left wing of the airplane, which resulted in substantial damage. According to the FAA, there were no reported missing drones in the area at the time of the accident and a review of radar data showed no primary radar targets in the area. The FAA reported significant bird migration activity, which included several large bird species that would have been active in the area at the time of the accident. While there was no evidence of bird remnants or feathers on the wing, the impact area spanned nearly 3 ft with no puncture of the leading-edge skin, consistent with impact with a large bird. The flight instructor reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.