- Date
- March 31, 1993, 20:23 local (Apr 1, 1993, 04:23 UTC)
- Place
- Livermore, CA
- Injuries
- 4 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N97462Cessna 172P
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report November 15, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930331007529A
- Case key
- 27828
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 decision to attempt VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions. Factors that contributed to this accident were: the pilot's lack of recent instrument experience, the rain and high wind conditions in the area.
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
During a night flight, the airplane collided with hilly terrain in a near wings level attitude. Weather in the area at the time of the accident was instrument meteorological conditions. There were no mechanical malfunctions found during the engine inspection on site. The pilot was instrument rated, but a review of logbook entries revealed that he was not instrument current. The pilot had contacted the control tower and requested a transition through their area, and then advised the tower he was going to perform a 180 degree turn. No further transmissions were received by the tower.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N97462
- Reported as
- Cessna 172P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17276192
- Airframe hours
- 5,806
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2J, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Business Aircraft Center, Inc
- Registered owner
- Business Aircraft Center, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 26, 1993 · 53 hours before
- Departed
- 022 · Columbia, CA
- Destination
- HWD · Hayward, 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
- 26
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 760 total · 300 in this make and model · 680 as pilot in command · 57 in the last 90 days · 31 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 229° at 18 knots, gusting 45
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.