- Date
- November 10, 1991, 11:49 local (19:49 UTC)
- Place
- Carmel Valley, CA
- Injuries
- 3 fatal, 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N80274Cessna 172M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 23, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911110050089A
- Case key
- 27390
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 failure to maintain a safe altitude above the ground during an intentional low altitude flight in mountainous terrain. Contributing factors related to the pilot becoming distracted while flying over the ground and to his failure to initiate a climb or take other corrective action by altering his course in a timely manner to avoid colliding with the mountain.
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
On a clr day with 15 mi vis, the plt flew to the Carmel Valley arpt. Witnesses said he dscndd to btn 200' & 300' AGL (650' & 750' MSL), then flew past the arpt; initially the gnd track was parallel, but abt 570 ft south of rwy 29. Witnesses said the acft was flying slowly; after traveling abt 8/10 mi past the arpt, the acft turned rgt & flew abt 6/10 mi, hdg twd the rising trrn of a box canyon. Just bfr impact, the acft bgn a left turn & collided with 40 deg upsloping trrn at abt 850' MSL. The pilot had flown the acft to the same arpt 7 wks earlier. A pilot examiner rprtd the arpt was clearly visible fm the air & was not difficult to locate, especially after having once been there. No preimpact mechanical malfunction was found with the airframe or eng.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N80274
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17266489
- Airframe hours
- 5,097
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- William T. Cleverdon, III, doing business as United Flight Services
- Registered owner
- William T. Cleverdon, III
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 5, 1991 · 89 hours before
- Departed
- WVI · Watsonville, CA
- Destination
- 062 · Carmel Valley, 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
- 47
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 158 total · 18 in this make and model · 97 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.