Cessna 172 N4286Q

Summary

On 1 October 2015 at about 23:00 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N4286Q, operated by Beach Cities Aviation Academy, was involved in an accident near Avalon, California, United States. 3 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

1 October 2015 at 23:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Avalon, California, United States

Nearest airport

Catalina (AVX)

Coordinates

33.4078, -118.4111

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N4286Q

Category

Airplane

Year built

1971

Engines

1

Operator

Beach Cities Aviation Academy

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hawthorne → Avalon

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA16CA002

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's exceedance of the critical angle of attack in turbulent and downdraft conditions, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and collision with terrain on final approach.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that during his first approach to land he elected to go-around due to the crab angle and buffeting. On the second approach, he encountered downdrafts and moderate turbulence again on short final and applied power to go-around. During the go-around, the airplane continued to sink and impacted a cliff about 250 feet short of the runway threshold, and ultimately came to rest at the bottom of the cliff near a road. The fuselage and both wings sustained substantial damage. According to the airport manager, when the airplane was on final approach he announced on the common traffic advisory frequency, "wind 250 at 11 and use caution for down drafts and turbulence on short final." The accident pilot acknowledged the transmission. The airport manager continued to observe the airplane and witnessed the pitch angle continuously increase on final approach, and then he heard the engine power increase. Subsequently, the airport manager witnessed the airplane "stall" and "fall from view."  The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.   

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.