Cessna 172F N383CA

Summary

On 7 January 2001 at about 04:15 local time, a Cessna 172F registered N383CA, operated by William C. Bottoms, was involved in an accident near San Luis Obispo, 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

7 January 2001 at 04:15

Classification

Accident

Location

San Luis Obispo, California, United States

Nearest airport

San Luis Obispo (SBP)

Coordinates

35.2498, -120.6192

Aircraft

Cessna 172F

Registration

N383CA

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

William C. Bottoms

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

San Luis Obispo → Bakersfield

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

NTSB number

LAX01FA070

2 people died.

The pilot's failure to maintain a proper climb rate to VFR conditions on-top.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During the instrument flight rules initial climb after takeoff, in fog, to visual conditions on top, the airplane collided with the ground about 1 mile from the departure runway. Prior to departure on runway 11, the pilot contacted the control tower to request the instrument departure to on-top and was advised to standby. During the course of communication the pilot was advised the "tops" were 300 feet above ground level, and was issued a clearance to taxi to the runway. The tower advised the pilot that they were closing and to contact ARTCC for release. The pilot obtained the IFR clearance and was released to on-top. The pilot's release included a standard instrument departure that required a right turn to 130 degrees after departure. There was no further communication with the pilot and radar contact was never established. The airplane subsequently collided with the ground, south of the runway, in a steep right wing down attitude on a magnetic heading of 180 degrees. Examination of the airplane wreckage did not reveal any system anomalies. The vacuum pump drive shear-shaft was found intact and there was rotational scoring of the attitude indictor gyroscope rotor.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.