Cessna R172K N7373K

Summary

On 28 June 1997 at about 14:22 local time, a Cessna R172K registered N7373K was involved in an accident near Moreno Valley, California, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 June 1997 at 14:22

Classification

Accident

Location

Moreno Valley, California, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Cessna R172K

Registration

N7373K

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Long Beach → Aha Quin

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX97FA225

2 people died.

The pilot's continued VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions, and his attempt to climb through a low stratus cloud layer while in mountainous/hilly terrain. The pilot's failure to obtain a weather briefing, the weather, and the terrain were factors.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

There is no record of the pilot having received a weather briefing before takeoff. Radar data showed the aircraft following a highway toward higher terrain at approximately the altitude of the cloud bases. At the end of the radar data the aircraft climbed until radar contact was lost near the accident site in mountainous/hilly terrain. Witnesses at the accident site reported that the aircraft flew 300 to 400 feet over their position and was barely visible in the base of the clouds. The engine was 'straining' and then they heard the plane crash. Rescue personnel said that at the time of their arrival the visibility at the site was about 50 feet in fog.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.