WPR24LA181

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 172P · Santa Ynez, CA · June 5, 2024

Accident · Serious injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal report
Date
June 5, 2024, 16:39 local (23:39 UTC)
Place
Santa Ynez, CA
Injuries
1 serious
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Maneuvering
Aircraft
N9567LCessna 172P
Defining event
Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Aerodynamic stall/spin
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
20240605007119A
Case key
194409

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed which resulted in exceedance of the critical angle of attack and an aerodynamic stall/spin, with insufficient altitude for recovery. The student pilot’s exceedance of the critical angle of attack which resulted in a stall and subsequent spin during a go-around.

Findings · 2

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.

Use of equip/info: aircraft controlPersonnel issues › Task performance · PilotCessna 172P: 76 casesAll aircraft: 9,295 casesProbable cause
Performance/control parameters: airspeedAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedCessna 172P: 7 casesAll aircraft: 1,681 casesProbable cause

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 student pilot reported that while landing to the runway, he performed two go-arounds, and on the . On the third landing attempt to land, he experienced two “bumps” followed by a gust of wind which aggravated the third “bump” into an oscillation that slammed the airplane into the ground and it became airborne. The pilot , which prompted the pilot to performed a “touch-and go.” procedure” According to the pilot, while on climb out, he heard “he heard the engine die” and began the procedures for an emergency landing without engine power. While in a left turn to avoid obstacles, He reported that while in a left turn, the airplane stalled and subsequently entered a spin. spun. His last recollections were of trying to correct the spin. A witness reported that they observed the airplane on the third landing, and that it landed hard, bounced multiple times, and struck the tail and possibly the propeller before it began to climb. The witness stated that the airplane then turned left and about 150 to 200 ft above ground level (agl), it banked left and then descended and impacted the ground. They added that the engine sounded like it was at full rpm until it impacted the ground. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Aircraft

Registration
N9567L
Reported as
Cessna 172P
Category
Airplane
Serial number
17276579
Built
1986
Airframe hours
7,910.5
Engine
Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 hp, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Registered owner
Cp Aviation Inc
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
100 hour · April 4, 2024
Departed
SZP · Santa Paula, CA
Destination
IZA · Santa Ynz, CA
Flight plan
VFR
Airport
IZA · Santa Ynez Airport/Kunkle Field, runway 26, 2,803 × 75 ft, asphalt
Equipment
Stall warning system, ADS-B

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
27
Injuries
Serious
Certificate
Student
Medical
Class 1, With waivers/limitations
Seat
Left
Restraint
3-point
Flight hours
112 total · 15.5 in this make and model · 4 as pilot in command · 21.2 in the last 90 days · 12.7 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
250° at 9 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
84 °F, dew point 63 °F
Altimeter
29.84 inHg
Observed at
KIZA
METAR
KIZA 052335Z AUTO 25009KT 10SM CLR 29/17 A2984 RMK AO2

Docket · 3

The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 12, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 14.9 MB in all.

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.