Cessna 172M accident near Chico, California, November 19, 2017
On November 19, 2017 at about 2:45 am local time, a 1975 Cessna 172M, registered N9678Q, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Chico, California. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An in-flight collision with a bird.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 19, 2017 · about 2:45 am local time
- Place
- Chico, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M M, built 1975 · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N9678Q · registry record · serial 17265762
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported that, during the instructional night, cross-country flight, while in level flight about 3,500 ft, a bird struck the airplane and went through the windscreen. The airplane returned to the airport without further incident. Postaccident examination revealed that the windscreen sustained substantial damage. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Birdstrike during enroute defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Animal(s)/bird(s) › Ability to respond/compensate
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Dark › Effect on operation
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 44 hours in all; 43 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 4,490 hours in all; 1,300 in this make and model; 33 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days; 4,040 as pilot in command; 2,650 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 12, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Northgate Aviation INC
The flight
- Departed from: Chico CA at 2:35 am
- Destination: O41 Woodland CA
- Flight plan: VFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.22 inHg
- Observation at 2:47 pm from CIC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 2 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number GAA18CA048.