- Date
- June 18, 1987, 16:05 local (23:05 UTC)
- Place
- Malibu, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N738JVCessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 2, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870618021049A
- Case key
- 25613
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
During a local instructional flight, the pilot stated that they were flying along the coast aprx 1 mile offshore and 500 ft AGL. The student started a climbing right turn towards land. The student continued to apply back pressure to the point that the acft stalled. The instructor took over and recovered from the stall with rising terrain directly in front of the acft. The plt felt that the acft was caught in a downdraft that the were unable to climb out of before colliding with the terrain. Witnesses stated that they had observed the acft flying erratically along and over the populated beach area at altitudes varying from 10 to 50 ft AGL. When the acft turned right towards the mountains the acft cleared an apartment complex by 10 ft and eventually collided with the terrain. There were no mechanical failures or malfunctions reported.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N738JV
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17270022
- Airframe hours
- 3,726
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- American Flyers
- Registered owner
- Baker, Bradley O.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 25, 1987
- Departed
- SMO · Santa Monica, CA
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
- 23
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 618 total · 225 in this make and model · 523 as pilot in command · 267 in the last 90 days · 58 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SMO, 13 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.