- Date
- July 25, 2021, 14:35 local (21:35 UTC)
- Place
- Kernville, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N728KGCessna 172N
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20210725011949A
- Case key
- 103670
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 airplane control during landing after an encounter with a wind gust which resulted in a collision with trees.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that, she set up for a normal approach to runway 17. Just before initiating the landing flare, transitioning through an altitude of about 15 ft above ground level (agl), the airplane encountered a wind gust. The left wing lifted to a near vertical attitude and the pilot manipulated the throttle full forward to go-around. The airplane was too low to avoid the trees adjacent to the runway. The wings were substantially damaged when the airplane collided with several trees and came to rest nose-low with the nose gear collapsed. The pilot reported that there were no pre impact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N728KG
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17272662
- Built
- 1979
- Airframe hours
- 3,640
- Engine
- Lycoming 0-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Capsed LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 28, 2021 · 21 hours before
- Departed
- MHV · Mojave, CA
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- L05 · Kern Valley, runway 17/35, 3,500 × 50 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 24, 2020
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 344 total · 344 in this make and model · 284 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 99 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.30 inHg
- Observed at
- KBFL, 36 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.