# Accident 20151001020909A: Cessna 172L, Avalon, CA, October 1, 2015

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 1, 2015, 16:09 local time
- Place: Avalon, CA
- Airport: Catalina
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 33.4078° N, 118.4111° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.4078&lon=-118.4111&mi=10
- Aircraft: N4286Q, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4286Q-2018-12-15) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 172L (registry code 2072432, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172l) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172L
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 2
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 278 total, 103 in this make and model, 1 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB GAA16CA002](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA16CA002) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20151001020909A

## Narrative

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

ON OCTOBER 1, 2015 AT 1608 PDT U.S. REGISTERED AICRAFT N4286Q IMPACTED THE GROUND JUST SHORT OF THE APPROACH END OF R22 AT KAVX.  THERE WERE THREE POB AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. ONE MINOR INJURY WAS REPORTED.  AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WEATHER INFORMATION INDICATED THE WINDS WERE FROM 270 DEGREES AT 15 KNOTS; VISIBILITY 10 MILES, CLEAR SKIES, TEMPERATURE 24 DEGREES C; DEW POINT 11 DEGREES C; AND ALTIMETER SETTING OF 29.96 INCHES OF MERCURY.  THE PIC TOOK OFF FROM HHR AT APPROXIMATELY 1530 PST. UPON APPROACH TO CATALINA ISLAND HE ENTERED THE PATTERN AT 2700 AGL, WENT THROUGH NORMAL APPROACH SPEEDS AND LOWERED FLAPS.  THE PIC MADE A NORMAL PATTERN APPROACH AT 2700 AGL FOR RUNWAY 22 WHICH IS SITUATED AT 1602 FEET AMSL.  HE STATED THAT HE LOWERED THE FLAPS THOUGH HE WAS UNSURE OF THE FLAP SETTING.  ON THE FIRST ATTEMPT AT LANDING THE PIC STATED THAT HE ENCOUNTERED A CROSS WIND WHICH RESULTED IN THE AIRCRAFT YAWING TO THE RIGHT OF CENTERLINE, SIMULTANEOUSLY THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED STRONG BUFFETING.  DUE TO THE AFOREMENTIONED CONDITIONS THE PIC DECIDED TO ABORT THE LANDING AND INITIATED A GO-AROUND.  ON HIS CLIMB BACK UP TO PATTERN ALTITUDE THE PIC OBSERVED THE WINDSOCK LOCATED ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE RUNWAY WHICH WAS FULLY EXTENDED PARALLEL WITH THE RUNWAY.  ON HIS SECOND APPROACH TO R22 ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT HE FELT HE WAS COMING IN ?A LITTLE HIGH?. HE EXPERIENCED THE SAME CROSSWINDS AND BUFFETING AS HIS PREVIOUS ATTEMPT WHICH RESULTED IN THE AIRCRAFT YAWING TO THE RIGHT.  ON FINAL APPROACH THE PIC RECEIVED A WARNING FROM THE KAVX CONTROL TOWER TO BE AWARE OF POTENTIAL DOWNDRAFTS.  ACCORDING TO THE PIC, IT WAS THIS LAST BIT OF INFORMATION IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE EXISTING ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS WHICH CAUSED HIM TO REJECT HIS SECOND ATTEMPT AT LANDING ON CATALINA ISLAND AND RETURN TO HAWTHORNE AIRPORT.  ONCE THE DECISION WAS MADE TO REJECT THE LANDING ATTEMPT THE PIC INCREASED THE ENGINE RPM TO FULL POWER IN AN ATTEMPT TO ESTABLISH A POSITIVE CLIMB.  HE DID NOT RETRACT THE FLAPS AT THIS TIME.  BASED ON THE PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE ACCIDENT SCENE IT APPEARS THE FLAPS ARE IN THEIR FULLY EXTENDED POSITION OF 40 DEGREES.  THE PIC STATES THAT ALL HE REMEMBERS IS APPLYING FULL POWER, HOWEVER THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT SHOW AN INCREASE IN AIRSPEED NOR GAIN IN ALTITUDE, WHICH RESULTED IN THE ENSUING LOW SPEED, LOW ANGLE IMPACT WITH THE GROUND ON THE WEST SIDE OF RUNWAY 22.

## 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 GAA16CA002](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA16CA002), Oct 1, 2015: Cessna 172 (N4286Q), Avalon, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: 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.

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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