- Date
- July 23, 1991, 19:45 local (Jul 24, 1991, 02:45 UTC)
- Place
- Napa, CA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N5352DCessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 27, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910723029649A
- Case key
- 27302
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 cfi's failure to initiate the go-around maneuver in a timely manner, and his failure to terminate the simulated emergency maneuver at a proper altitude. A contributing factor was the gusty surface wind.
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 CFI planned to demonstrate to his student how to execute an emergency landing. The CFI closed the throttle and descended to less than 50 feet above ground level before he attempted to add engine power in termination of the demonstration. As the engine power was being restored, the airplane descended a few feet, contacted the ground and nosed over. Gusty surface winds existed. The CFI reported that he had not maintained a 'sufficient buffer zone of safety' during demonstration.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5352D
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17272539
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Bridgeford Flying Svc.
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Destination
- OQ9 · Sonoma, 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
- 42
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 2,502 total · 450 in this make and model · 1,679 as pilot in command · 32 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.