# Accident 19950618030539A: Cessna 172N, Vidal Junction, CA, June 18, 1995

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 18, 1995, 19:20 local time
- Place: Vidal Junction, CA
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Unknown/Not Reported
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.1406° N, 114.5194° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.1406&lon=-114.5194&mi=10
- Aircraft: N739KJ, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N739KJ-1997-03-25) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 172N (registry code 2072434, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172n) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172N
- Reported engine: LYC O320H2AD
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 1,523 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX95FA217](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX95FA217) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19950618030539A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

COLLIDED WITH MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS. CAUSE FAILURE TO CLEAR TERRAIN POSSIBLE DOWNDRAFT.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB LAX95FA217](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX95FA217), Jun 19, 1995: Cessna 172N (N739KJ), Vidal Junction, CA, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain an altitude adequate to avoid the mountainous/hilly terrain. Contributing to the accident was the glare from the setting sun.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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