- Date
- February 17, 1985, 12:45 local (20:45 UTC)
- Place
- Healdsburg, CA
- Injuries
- 3 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N739XZCessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850217051579A
- Case key
- 24653
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
While on a local flt, the acft collided with trees in a canyon. The plt reported the acft's alt was lower than anticipated & the terrain in the canyon rose rapidly. Full eng power was not sufficient to negotiate the rising terrain. The plt reported the acft's airspeed & alt were insufficient to execute a 180 deg turn. Realizing his situation, he elected to 'stall' the acft into the trees.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N739XZ
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17270901
- Airframe hours
- 722
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Paul A. Nocero
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 29, 1984 · 79 hours before
- Departed
- O60 · Cloverdale, CA
- Airport
- 060 · Cloverdale
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
- 24
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 352 total · 96 in this make and model · 275 as pilot in command · 52 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- STS
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.