- Date
- October 21, 1988, 20:11 local (Oct 22, 1988, 03:11 UTC)
- Place
- Petaluma, CA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N9372ECessna 172N
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report January 31, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19881021047689A
- Case key
- 26185
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Pilot used poor judgement when he attempted v.f.r. flight during instrument meteorological conditions and that he encountered spatial disorientation when he entered into the clouds.
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 plt told his brother that he was going to practice night takeoffs & landings. Shortly after takeoff, the acft crashed in a steep nose down, right wing low attitude. Impact occurred about 1/2 mi northwest of the arpt. No pre- impact part failure or malfunction of the acft was found. Witnesses rprtd the wx was foggy with a low ceiling. One witness estimated a 200 to 300 ft ceiling with 1/4 mi visibility. Another witness rprtd the visibility was less than 1/2 mi. Aprx 20 mi northwest at santa rosa, the 1945 PDT wx was in part: 2500 ft scattered, visibility 10 mi. The the non-instrument plt had only about 2 hrs of simulated instrument flt time.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9372E
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17272241
- Airframe hours
- 3,490
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Aeroventure Clubs, Inc., doing business as Petaluma Aeroventure
- Registered owner
- Slingland, E.R. & Sheeleys
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 7, 1988 · 52 hours before
- Departed
- O69
- Destination
- O69
- Airport
- 069 · Petaluma Muni, runway 29, 3,600 × 75 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
- 42
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 147 total · 8 in this make and model · 105 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 280° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 300 ft
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.