- Date
- November 17, 1990, 03:20 local (11:20 UTC)
- Place
- San Clemente, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5257VCessna 172RG
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report December 30, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19901117050959A
- Case key
- 27061
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 pilots selection of improper cruise altitude while operating under a low overcast on a dark night. A factor in the accident was fatigue and lack of sleep.
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 pilot was fish spotting for a boat at sea. The pilot had been airborne for over 10 hours. The last contact with the aircraft occurred at about 0300 when the pilot gave a position report to the boat and stated he was returning to base. The boat captain expected to hear from the pilot one more time at about 0330. That did not happen, and the plane did not arrive at the base by fuel exhaustion time at 0900. The aircraft was reported missing and a search was started. By 1100 hours the aircraft was located by another fish spotter on the south side of an island at about 1200 feet MSL, on an approximate heading towards home base.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5257V
- Reported as
- Cessna 172RG
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172RG0487
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-F1A6, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- Unknown
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Robert W. Bacon
- Departed
- TOA · Torrance, 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
- 51
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 11,000 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- -0 °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.