What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 7, 2017, at approximately 1400 pacific daylight time (PDT), Cessna 172N, N737QQ impacted trees near point reyes bird observatory, Bolinas, California. The airplane was operated under the provisions of 14 code of federal regulations part 91 as a personal cross-country flight. The aircraft wreckage was located in a densely forested area by officers of the point reyes national park service on September 8, 2017. The private pilot and sole occupant, was fatally injured, with the aircraft sustaining substantial damage.
The aircraft was rented from sun west aviation, santa ynez, California. At about 1130 (PDT) with VMC conditions prevailing the aircraft departed santa ynez airport (iza) with a VFR flight plan destined for charles m. schulz ? Sonoma county airport (sts), santa rosa, California. While cruising at an altitude of 6500?, the pilot discontinued flight following, descended to 1500 feet and used visual references to follow the shoreline up the coast. The last confirmed radar position shows the aircraft about 1 mile from the crash site on a north westerly heading (323) at 1300? And 113KTS. The debris field and tree scars found at 800? Show the heading of the aircraft in a north-north easterly direction (025) with rising terrain cresting at 1200-1400?.
At the time of the accident a fog layer was present over the point reyes national park, that encompassed the accident site.
The aircraft wreckage was located in a densely forested area by officers of the point reyes national park service on September 8, 2017. There was no evidence of pre or post impact fire. The 150? Long debris field shows the aircraft was in a north-north easterly heading (approx. 025) the first identified point of contact/impact (fipc) was a severed tree top of a 60-foot Douglas fir tree. Approximately 30 feet north of the fipc the left wing was found wrapped around a tree 20 feet above the ground. The wing attach fittings were sheared at the fuselage. The aileron separated from the wing and was found 20 feet further north supported by branches in another tree. The right elevator was located on the ground, 40 feet from the fipc in a north easterly direction. The majority of the fuselage and empennage were found 100 feet north-north east of the fipc at the base of a tree, inverted, with the tail oriented to the north and a portion of the right wing tucked under the fuselage. There was a large scar 15 feet from the ground with structural evidence showing that the fuselage had impacted the tree spun 180 degrees and settled to the ground at the base of the tree. Continuing on a north-north-easterly direction the pilot, entry door and cockpit roof structure with 6 feet of right wing were found on the ground 20 feet north of the main fuselage with the rudder pedals and control columns hanging in the tree above. The instrument panel and engine separated from structure and came to rest 150? From the fipc in the same north-north-easterly direction. Inspection of the propeller blades show evidence of a high torque separation from the engine, stopping 30 feet downhill and confirming engine making power at separation.
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As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 7, 2017, AT APPROXIMATELY 1400 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME (PDT), CESSNA 172N, N737QQ IMPACTED TREES NEAR POINT REYES BIRD OBSERVATORY, BOLINAS, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 AS A PERSONAL CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED IN A DENSELY FORESTED AREA BY OFFICERS OF THE POINT REYES NATIONAL PARK SERVICE ON SEPTEMBER 8, 2017. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS FATALLY INJURED, WITH THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS RENTED FROM SUN WEST AVIATION, SANTA YNEZ, CALIFORNIA. AT ABOUT 1130 (PDT) WITH VMC CONDITIONS PREVAILING THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED SANTA YNEZ AIRPORT (IZA) WITH A VFR FLIGHT PLAN DESTINED FOR CHARLES M. SCHULZ ? SONOMA COUNTY AIRPORT (STS), SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA. WHILE CRUISING AT AN ALTITUDE OF 6500?, THE PILOT DISCONTINUED FLIGHT FOLLOWING, DESCENDED TO 1500 FEET AND USED VISUAL REFERENCES TO FOLLOW THE SHORELINE UP THE COAST. THE LAST CONFIRMED RADAR POSITION SHOWS THE AIRCRAFT ABOUT 1 MILE FROM THE CRASH SITE ON A NORTH WESTERLY HEADING (323) AT 1300? AND 113KTS. THE DEBRIS FIELD AND TREE SCARS FOUND AT 800? SHOW THE HEADING OF THE AIRCRAFT IN A NORTH-NORTH EASTERLY DIRECTION (025) WITH RISING TERRAIN CRESTING AT 1200-1400?.
AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT A FOG LAYER WAS PRESENT OVER THE POINT REYES NATIONAL PARK, THAT ENCOMPASSED THE ACCIDENT SITE.
THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED IN A DENSELY FORESTED AREA BY OFFICERS OF THE POINT REYES NATIONAL PARK SERVICE ON SEPTEMBER 8, 2017. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF PRE OR POST IMPACT FIRE. THE 150? LONG DEBRIS FIELD SHOWS THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN A NORTH-NORTH EASTERLY HEADING (APPROX. 025) THE FIRST IDENTIFIED POINT OF CONTACT/IMPACT (FIPC) WAS A SEVERED TREE TOP OF A 60-FOOT DOUGLAS FIR TREE. APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET NORTH OF THE FIPC THE LEFT WING WAS FOUND WRAPPED AROUND A TREE 20 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. THE WING ATTACH FITTINGS WERE SHEARED AT THE FUSELAGE. THE AILERON SEPARATED FROM THE WING AND WAS FOUND 20 FEET FURTHER NORTH SUPPORTED BY BRANCHES IN ANOTHER TREE. THE RIGHT ELEVATOR WAS LOCATED ON THE GROUND, 40 FEET FROM THE FIPC IN A NORTH EASTERLY DIRECTION. THE MAJORITY OF THE FUSELAGE AND EMPENNAGE WERE FOUND 100 FEET NORTH-NORTH EAST OF THE FIPC AT THE BASE OF A TREE, INVERTED, WITH THE TAIL ORIENTED TO THE NORTH AND A PORTION OF THE RIGHT WING TUCKED UNDER THE FUSELAGE. THERE WAS A LARGE SCAR 15 FEET FROM THE GROUND WITH STRUCTURAL EVIDENCE SHOWING THAT THE FUSELAGE HAD IMPACTED THE TREE SPUN 180 DEGREES AND SETTLED TO THE GROUND AT THE BASE OF THE TREE. CONTINUING ON A NORTH-NORTH-EASTERLY DIRECTION THE PILOT, ENTRY DOOR AND COCKPIT ROOF STRUCTURE WITH 6 FEET OF RIGHT WING WERE FOUND ON THE GROUND 20 FEET NORTH OF THE MAIN FUSELAGE WITH THE RUDDER PEDALS AND CONTROL COLUMNS HANGING IN THE TREE ABOVE. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND ENGINE SEPARATED FROM STRUCTURE AND CAME TO REST 150? FROM THE FIPC IN THE SAME NORTH-NORTH-EASTERLY DIRECTION. INSPECTION OF THE PROPELLER BLADES SHOW EVIDENCE OF A HIGH TORQUE SEPARATION FROM THE ENGINE, STOPPING 30 FEET DOWNHILL AND CONFIRMING ENGINE MAKING POWER AT SEPARATION.
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NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.