- Date
- August 29, 1986, 19:05 local (Aug 30, 1986, 02:05 UTC)
- Place
- Lower Lake, CA
- Injuries
- 2 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3651SCessna 172E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 10, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860829043369A
- Case key
- 25244
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
The airplane departed on a local sight-seeing flight at Lower Lake, California. A noncurrent commercial pilot was flying the airplane; the PIC, a current commercial pilot, was occupying the right front seat. The airplane collided with some 12-foot high manzanita bushes abt 1/4 mile southeast of the runway threshold while on final approach to runway 30. The pilot flying the airplane reported that the PIC pulled off the power while on final approach and the airplane crashed; the right rear seat passenger confirmed the pilot's statement. The PIC reported that he was not the PIC and that he did not know the commercial pilot was not current. The PIC owns the airplane. The PIC further reported that when on final approach the airplane was too low and he advised the pilot accordingly. He then took control of the airplane and during the interval the airplane lost 100 feet of altitude and collided with the high manzanita bushes.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3651S
- Reported as
- Cessna 172E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17250851
- Airframe hours
- 3,800
- Engine
- Continental O-300 SER, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- James Lavigne
- Registered owner
- Jim And Gayle Lavigne
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 30, 1986 · 12 hours before
- Airport
- 209 · Lower Lake, runway 30, 2,485 × 50 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
- 52
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 3,599 total · 53 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.