Cessna 172M N13670

Summary

On 22 October 1990 at about 01:02 local time, a Cessna 172M registered N13670, operated by Mercury Air Center, was involved in an accident near Goleta, California, United States. 4 people were on board and one died, 3 were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

22 October 1990 at 01:02

Classification

Accident

Location

Goleta, California, United States

Nearest airport

Santa Barbara (SBA)

Coordinates

34.5004, -120.1202

Aircraft

Cessna 172M

Registration

N13670

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Mercury Air Center

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Santa Paula → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

LAX91FA012

1 person died.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER GLIDEPATH WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS SUNGLARE.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PLT WAS INSTRUCTED TO ENTER A LEFT BASE LEG IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN TO LAND ON RWY 25, FOR THE PURPOSE OF MAINTAINING SEPARATION FROM OTHER LANDING TRAFFIC. THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER ADDITIONALLY INSTRUCTED THE PLT TO MAKE THE BASE LEG SQUARE. REVIEW OF THE AIRPLANE'S FLIGHT PATH AS DEPICTED BY FAA DRAWINGS ILLUSTRATED AN APPROACH PATTERN SIMILAR TO A LONG FINAL APPROACH. WITNESSES ON THE GROUND ABOUT 1 1/2 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT ON THE RWY 25 EXTENDED CENTERLINE STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE OVERFLEW THEIR HOMES AT A LOW ALTITUDE. THERE WERE NO REPORTS OF UNUSUAL ENGINE NOISES. AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE IN A RAPID DESCENT IMMEDIATELY BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WITH THE AIRPLANE BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THE AZIMUTH AND ANGLE ABOVE THE HORIZON OF THE SUN WAS 241.1 DEG AND 2.8 DEG. RESPECTIVELY.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.