Cessna 172 accident near Corona, California, March 25, 2000
On March 25, 2000 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N7354A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Corona, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate weather evaluation, and his improper remedial actions that led to a precautionary landing and subsequent attempted takeoff from unsuitable terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 25, 2000 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Corona, California
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N7354A · no longer on the register · serial 29454
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and passengers had taken off from Goodyear airport in Phoenix, Arizona for a flight to Santa Ana, California. The pilot said he obtained a weather briefing from the airport at Goodyear, but did not check with anybody concerning the fog he encountered near Corona, California. He stated that the Riverside and Corona area was 'socked in' with heavy fog and clouds, but that the outlying areas in the Moreno Valley were clear. He stated that the fog was coming in fast with low ceilings, so he decided to land in the clearing. While they were at the clearing, the pilot's father went to a nearby landfill and purchased approximately 18 gallons of automotive fuel for the airplane. After the fog began to clear, the pilot said they got ready to takeoff, and he got about 2-3 feet in the air when the engine suddenly died as if he had pulled back on the throttle. He said he also heard a popping noise but could not determine if it was the engine or a rock hitting the airplane. Later the pilot told FAA investigators that he did not have a problem with the engine. After the accident, at the request of the local fire department officials, the pilot drained approximately 18 gallons of fuel from the airplane. During a postaccident examination, the engine was started normally three times, with good throttle response and normal oil pressure.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 121 hours in all; 115 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 74 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,409 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 12, 1999; 55 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental 0300A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KGYR Goodyear AZ at 11:30 am
- Destination: KSNA Santa Ana CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from ONT, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.