- Date
- April 9, 1982, 12:40 local (20:40 UTC)
- Place
- Torrance, CA
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N30162Cessna 177
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 9, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820409008759A
- Case key
- 72847
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
Before departing on the initial flight from los angeles, CA, the pilot drained a large amount of water from the fuel tanks. After making a battery start, the pilot and two passengers departed on a flight to the santa catalina airport where they had lunch. From there, they flew to Torrance, CA and refueled with 27 gallons of 80/87 octane fuel before returning to los angeles. During the departure from Torrance, the plane was observed in a shallow climb. During the climb, the engine was heard to decrease in power. The aircraft entered a steep bank, the bank was shallowed out, and then a steep bank was reentered. After that, the nose dropped, the aircraft dove toward the ground, then crashed and burned. An examination of the wreckage and a disassembly of the engine revealed no preimpact malfunction or failure. The last annual inspection of the aircraft was dated 3/17/81. The last annual of the engine was dated 2/22/80.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N30162
- Reported as
- Cessna 177
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17701090
- Airframe hours
- 1,602
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Airesearch Flying Club
- Registered owner
- Airesearch Flying Club
- Departed
- TOA · Torrance, CA
- Destination
- LAX · Los Angeles, CA
- Airport
- TOA · Torrance Muni, runway 29R, 5,000 × 150 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 45
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 152 total · 10 in this make and model · 61 as pilot in command · 21 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft broken
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TOA
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N30162 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.