Cessna 172M N1399U

Summary

On 1 April 2023 at about 20:43 local time, a Cessna 172M registered N1399U, operated by OC 172 Group LLC, was involved in an accident near Santa Ana, California, United States. 2 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 April 2023 at 20:43

Classification

Accident

Location

Santa Ana, California, United States

Nearest airport

John Wayne/Orange County Airpo (KSNA)

Coordinates

33.6757, -117.8682

Aircraft

Cessna 172M

Registration

N1399U

Category

Airplane

Year built

1976

Engines

1

Operator

OC 172 Group LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Santa Ana → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR23LA146

Nobody was injured.

The flight instructor’s failure to maintain clearance from a commercial airliner which resulted in an encounter with wake turbulence and subsequent loss of control resulting in impact with terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor reported that while practicing crosswind landings with his student, the tower advised the pilot of wake turbulence from a commercial airliner on the parallel runway. They flew a steeper approach but noticed a moderate right quartering headwind on the windsock. At about 100 feet above ground level the airplane encountered wake turbulence and banked sharply to the right. Both pilots added full left aileron and applied backpressure to the yoke as the airplane contacted the terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.