Cessna 172 N7354A

Summary

On 25 March 2000 at about 19:00 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N7354A was involved in an accident near Corona, California, United States. 4 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

25 March 2000 at 19:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Corona, California, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N7354A

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Goodyear → Santa Ana

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX00LA135

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's inadequate weather evaluation, and his improper remedial actions that led to a precautionary landing and subsequent attempted takeoff from unsuitable terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot and passengers had taken off from Goodyear airport in Phoenix, Arizona for a flight to Santa Ana, California. The pilot said he obtained a weather briefing from the airport at Goodyear, but did not check with anybody concerning the fog he encountered near Corona, California. He stated that the Riverside and Corona area was 'socked in' with heavy fog and clouds, but that the outlying areas in the Moreno Valley were clear. He stated that the fog was coming in fast with low ceilings, so he decided to land in the clearing. While they were at the clearing, the pilot's father went to a nearby landfill and purchased approximately 18 gallons of automotive fuel for the airplane. After the fog began to clear, the pilot said they got ready to takeoff, and he got about 2-3 feet in the air when the engine suddenly died as if he had pulled back on the throttle. He said he also heard a popping noise but could not determine if it was the engine or a rock hitting the airplane. Later the pilot told FAA investigators that he did not have a problem with the engine. After the accident, at the request of the local fire department officials, the pilot drained approximately 18 gallons of fuel from the airplane. During a postaccident examination, the engine was started normally three times, with good throttle response and normal oil pressure.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.