Cessna 172N N6242D
9 April 1994 · Julian, California, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 9 April 1994 at about 18:08 local time, a Cessna 172N registered N6242D, operated by Darin Christenson, was involved in an accident near Julian, California, United States. 2 people were on board and one 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.
The record
- Date
- at 18:08
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Julian, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 33.0196, -116.4901
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N
- Registration
- N6242D
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Darin Christenson
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Yuma → Carlsbad
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- IMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX94FA185
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT(S). FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE HIGH/MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN AND ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
IN A BRIEFING ON 4/8/94, THE PILOT(S) WERE ADVISED OF FORECAST FRONTAL ACTIVITY, GUSTY WINDS & TURBULENCE BELOW 15,000' ALONG THE ROUTE. THE INSTRUMENT STUDENT SAID THAT DURING FLIGHT ON 4/9/94, THEY ENTERED IFR CONDITIONS AT 8000' & HE WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE DUE TO DOWNDRAFTS. THE INSTRUCTOR (CFII) TOOK THE CONTROLS & WAS ALSO UNABLE TO GAIN OR MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. HE ADVISED THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER (ATC) OF THE PROBLEM & WAS CLEARED DOWN TO 7000'. SOON THEREAFTER, HE TOLD ATC THE PLANE WAS DESCENDING IN A DOWNDRAFT THROUGH 6300'. ATC ADVISED THE FLIGHT OF A LOW ALTITUDE ALERT & ASKED THEM TO MAINTAIN 7000'. THE CFII REPLIED THAT HE WAS TRYING & ASKED FOR A RADAR VECTOR. ATC WARNED THAT THE FLIGHT WAS BELOW MINIMUM VECTORING ALTITUDE & TO CLIMB AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THE DESCENT COULD NOT BE STOPPED & THE PLANE COLLIDED WITH A MOUNTAINSIDE AT THE 4800' LEVEL. PERSONNEL IN A NEARBY CABIN SAID THEY WERE ENVELOPED IN A FAST MOVING CLOUD BANK WITH HIGH WINDS. NO PREIMPACT MECHANICAL FAILURE WAS FOUND, ALTHOUGH THE AIRCRAFT WAS DAMAGED BY IMPACT & GROUND FIRE.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Cessna 172 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Jun 1994 | Cessna 172N | Lambertville, Michigan, United States | Davis College | Minor injuries | - |
| 21 Jul 1994 | Cessna 172N | Chatham, Massachusetts, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 29 Apr 1994 | Cessna 172P | Hillsboro, Oregon, United States | Eagle Flight Center, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 1 Jul 1994 | Cessna 172B | Shiocton, Wisconsin, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 26 Jul 1994 | Cessna 172A | Block Island, Rhode Island, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 29 May 1994 | Cessna 172M | Lookout Pass, Idaho, United States | St. Maries CAP Aero Club | Serious injuries | - |
All 12,209 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Sep 1994 | Piper PA-28R-201 | Fort Bragg, California, United States | Sundance Flying Club | Serious injuries | - |
| 12 May 1994 | Schweizer G-164B | Yuba City, California, United States | Sutter Butte Dusters, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 3 Sep 1994 | Cessna T210L | Kettleman City, California, United States | Willie Alves Rodrigues | No injuries | - |
| 13 May 1994 | Maule M-5-235C | Columbia, California, United States | White, James L. | No injuries | - |
| 19 May 1994 | Cessna 150L | Rio Linda, California, United States | Hinckley, Thomas, F. | Serious injuries | - |
| 23 Sep 1994 | Robinson R-22 | Chico, California, United States | Sierra Aviation | No injuries | - |