Cessna 172F accident near San Luis Obispo, California, January 7, 2001
On January 7, 2001 at about 4:15 am local time, a Cessna 172F, registered N383CA, was destroyed in an accident near San Luis Obispo, California (San Luis Obispo airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain a proper climb rate to VFR conditions on-top.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 7, 2001 · about 4:15 am local time
- Place
- San Luis Obispo, California · San Luis Obispo · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172F · all 172Fs on the register
- Registration
- N383CA · registry record · serial 17252039
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the instrument flight rules initial climb after takeoff, in fog, to visual conditions on top, the airplane collided with the ground about 1 mile from the departure runway. Prior to departure on runway 11, the pilot contacted the control tower to request the instrument departure to on-top and was advised to standby. During the course of communication the pilot was advised the "tops" were 300 feet above ground level, and was issued a clearance to taxi to the runway. The tower advised the pilot that they were closing and to contact ARTCC for release. The pilot obtained the IFR clearance and was released to on-top. The pilot's release included a standard instrument departure that required a right turn to 130 degrees after departure. There was no further communication with the pilot and radar contact was never established. The airplane subsequently collided with the ground, south of the runway, in a steep right wing down attitude on a magnetic heading of 180 degrees. Examination of the airplane wreckage did not reveal any system anomalies. The vacuum pump drive shear-shaft was found intact and there was rotational scoring of the attitude indictor gyroscope rotor.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,290 hours in all
- Last flight review: September 19, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,924 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 9, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SBP San Luis Obispo CA at 3:12 am
- Destination: BFL Bakersfield CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 11, 4,799 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Visibility: 0.5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 100 ft
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 4:41 am from SBP, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.