Cessna 172M accident near Placerville, California, July 25, 2001
On July 25, 2001 at about 5:46 am local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N8962V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Placerville, California (Placerville airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Inadequate airspeed during climb out following an aborted landing that was precipitated by the pilot's misjudged speed/distance on final approach. Also, contributing to the accident was the pilot's inexperience in the type of operation, his failure to properly configure the airplane's flaps for the go-around, and the dark nighttime condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 25, 2001 · about 5:46 am local time
- Place
- Placerville, California · Placerville · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N8962V · no longer on the register · serial 17264318
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Upon reaching the destination airport on a dark, nighttime cross-country flight, the pilot's approach was too high and fast, so he performed a go-around. On his second approach, the pilot was also too high, but the airplane touched down on the 4,200-foot-long runway. Concerned about being able to stop before reaching the runway's departure end, the pilot added full engine power and tried to go around. The engine power increased normally. During the initial climb out, the pilot experienced difficulty controlling the airplane. Contrary to Cessna's published recommended balked landing procedure, the pilot failed to retract the wing flaps from their 40-degrees setting. The airspeed was slow, the airplane stalled, and it impacted trees and terrain. About 1.5 months earlier, the pilot was issued a private pilot certificate. The accident occurred during the pilot's first, solo, night cross-country flight, and his total pilot-in-command night experience was 1.5 hours.
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: 99 hours in all; 82 in this make and model; 42 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 38 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 6, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,096 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 23, 2001
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Sun Air Aviation, LLC.
The flight
- Departed from: CMA Camarillo CA at 2:45 am
- Destination: PVF Placerville CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 4,200 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 5:52 am from BLU, 33 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.