Cessna 172P accident near Big Bear City, California, July 27, 2004
On July 27, 2004 at about 8:29 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N65615, was substantially damaged in an accident near Big Bear City, California (Big Bear City airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the instructor's inadequate compensation for wind conditions and delayed decision to perform a go-around. Contributing factors were wind gusts, windshear, and an excessive descent rate.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 27, 2004 · about 8:29 pm local time
- Place
- Big Bear City, California · Big Bear City · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N65615 · no longer on the register · serial 17275786
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane collided with bushes and terrain during an attempted landing on a temporary runway. The runway is normally the south taxiway. It is the designated runway during major repairs to the main runway 08/26, and is marked with a displaced threshold and normal striping. The airplane landed prior to the displaced threshold. The instructor took the controls during the base leg turn when the student pilot voiced some concerns about his ability to land the airplane due to his lack of familiarity with the airport and the turbulence. The instructor reported gusty winds (280 degrees at 9-14), and severe windshear that was not reflected during his preflight weather briefing, or by the Unicom advisory service. The AWOS was out of service. The instructor put in an additional 10 degrees of flaps after clearing some trees. Upon encountering a high rate of sink he applied full power for a go-around and retracted the flaps to 10 degrees. He reported that the airplane was moving violently down and left, and ground contact was inevitable. The instructor reported that there were no mechanical issues with the airplane.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 926 hours in all; 892 in this make and model; 103 in the last 90 days; 55 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: February 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 30 hours in all; 30 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Cruise Air Aviation, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: L39 Ramona CA at 7:35 pm
- Destination: L35 Big Bear City AK
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 26
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 9 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
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.
Other NTSB records under N65615 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.