Cessna 140 N140MC

Summary

On 11 April 1985 at about 04:25 local time, a Cessna 140 registered N140MC was involved in an accident near Petaluma, California, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

11 April 1985 at 04:25

Classification

Accident

Location

Petaluma, California, United States

Nearest airport

Petaluma Sky Ranch (069)

Coordinates

38.2094, -122.7598

Aircraft

Cessna 140

Registration

N140MC

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hayward → Santa Rosa

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

LAX85FA198

1 person died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE ATP PLT INITIATED A SHORT X-COUNTRY FLT AT NIGHT IN AN ACFT WITH NO ATTITUDE GYRO INSTRUMENTS. JUST BEFORE THE ACFT CRASHED, WITNESSES HEARD THE ACFT. THEY REPORTED THAT THE ENG SOUNDED LIKE THE PLT WAS DOING STUNTS OR SHARP TURNS. THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT SEE THE ACFT BECAUSE OF THE FOG OR CLOUD COVER AT ABOUT 600 FT. SUDDENLY THEY SAW A LIGHT THAT IMMEDIATELY WENT TOWARD THE GROUND. AT ABOUT THAT SAME TIME, THEY HEARD THE ENG WHINE AS IF THE ACFT WAS IN A DIVE. THE LIGHT DISAPPEARED & THEY HEARD A THUD. THE ACFT WAS LOCATED WHERE IT HAD CRASHED IN A POND. DURING AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE NO PREIMPACT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE ACFT OR ENG WAS FOUND. THE ACFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH A NEEDLE BALL, AIRSPEED INDICATOR, ALTIMETER & MAGNETIC COMPASS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.