Cessna 172P accident near Chester, CA

On April 28, 2000, a Cessna 172P (airplane) was involved in an accident near Chester, CA. 4 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.

Date

April 28, 2000

Place

Chester, CA

Aircraft

Cessna 172P · Airplane

Injuries

4 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor

Damage

Destroyed

Position

40.269°N, 121.240°W

NTSB ID

20001212X20842

NTSB summary

HISTORY OF FLIGHT On April 28, 2000, between 1500 and 1620 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172P, N216PB, collided with the surface of Lake Alamanor near Chester, California. The airplane was operated by Pacific Flight Services of Chico, California, and was rented by the pilot for a personal flight. The aircraft was destroyed in the collision sequence and sank. The private pilot and his three passengers sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was being operated under 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal flight when the accident occurred. The flight is believed to have departed the Chester airport between 1500 and 1530 for a local sightseeing flight around the lake. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the flight. No witnesses to the accident were identified by either Safety Board investigators or investigating officers from the Pulmas County Sheriff/Coroner's Office. Investigation disclosed that the pilot rented the airplane from the operator and departed from the Chico airport about 1430 and flew to the Chester airport, a distance of 47 miles. At the Chester airport, the pilot met with his fiance, her grandparents, and her younger brother. According to the fiance and other family members, the pilot loaded his fiancee's grandparents and her younger brother onboard the airplane to go sightseeing around the lake while the fiance waited for the group to return. This was the pilot's first flight with passengers since obtaining his fixed wing private pilot certificate 14 days prior to the accident. The airport manager and owner of the local

Probable cause

The pilot's encounter with a wind shear at low altitude, which resulted in a loss of control and a stall/spin. Factors in the accident were the high density altitude and the pilot's lack of experience and training in high density altitude operations. The pilot's decision to takeoff downwind, while reasonable given the nature of the obstacles and terrain on the other runways, set up a situation whe

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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.