- Date
- July 3, 1990, 17:10 local (Jul 4, 1990, 00:10 UTC)
- Place
- Avalon, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 2 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N2810ECessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 12, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900703023219A
- Case key
- 26642
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
The pilot's improper in-flight planning, decision, and his intentional low flying near mountainous terrain. Contributing factors related to the pilot's not maintaining/following proper VFR procedures, the related distraction of the open cabin door, and the pilot's diverted attention to ground activities.
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
It was the pilot's daughter's 12th birthday. The daughter was attending a summer camp on catalina island. The pilot planned to overfly the camp and surprise his daughter by tossing her a birthday present from the airplane. The pilot's son and a work associate were invited along for the airplane ride. Witnesses at the camp observed the airplane fly overhead between 100 and 200 feet above ground level, and the present was tossed out of the airplane. A box-like canyon with rapidly rising terrain was located adjacent to the camp. The pilot flew into the canyon and then maneuvered the airplane to exit. While maneuvering the airplane entered a steep left bank and collided with the side of the canyon.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2810E
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17271331
- Airframe hours
- 3,261
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- B&E Aircraft
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Departed
- LGB · Long Beach, 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
- 38
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Expired
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 350 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 0° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 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.