- Date
- August 6, 1989, 11:10 local (18:10 UTC)
- Place
- Dana Point, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N2667LCessna 172H
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 29, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890806027279A
- Case key
- 26466
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-in-commands failure to maintain control of the airplane while in maneuvering flight.
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
Witnesses observed the airplane making slow circles, counter clockwise, when the nose of the airplane dropped and the engine sound increased. The nose of the airplane then rose to a near vertical climb and the airplane 'slowly looped' over onto its back and then dove near vertically while slowly rotating 180 degrees and striking the pacific ocean nose first. Witnesses stated the engine continued making noise until the airplane struck the water. The acft was at aprx 500 ft AGL while circling and climbed to about 800 ft AGL before stalling.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2667L
- Reported as
- Cessna 172H
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17255867
- Engine
- Continental O-300-D, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Shirley, Joseph A., doing business as J. Shirley And Company
- Registered owner
- Joseph A Shirley
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- SEE · El Cajon, 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
- 43
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 1,500 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.