Cessna 172 accident near Granada Hills, California, June 21, 1982
On June 21, 1982 at about 5:40 am local time, a Cessna 172, registered N738GF, was destroyed in an accident near Granada Hills, California. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 21, 1982 · about 5:40 am local time
- Place
- Granada Hills, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N738GF · no longer on the register · serial 17269961
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT PILOT DEPARTED VAN NUYS, CA AT ABOUT 1530 PDT ON A ROUND-ROBIN, CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT TO TURLOCK, CA. IT WAS A COMBINATION PERSONAL AND TRAINING FLIGHT. HIS INSTRUCTOR PILOT (CFI) HAD VERBALLY APPROVED THE FLIGHT, BUT DID NOT ENDORSE THE STUDENT'S LOGBOOK. THE STUDENT ARRIVED AT TURLOCK AT ABOUT 1830 PDT. AFTER REFUELING THE PLANE AND HAVING DINNER WITH SOME FRIENDS, HE DEPARTED ON THE RETURN FLIGHT AT ABOUT 2000 PDT. AFTER PASSING NEWHALL PASS, ABOUT 15 MI NORTH OF VAN NUYS AIRPORT, HE OBSERVED AN OVERCAST CLOUD CONDITION; HOWEVER, HE COULD SEE THE VALLEY LIGHTS THROUGH THE OVERCAST. HE RADIOED BURBANK APPROACH CONTROL FOR ASSISTANCE. HE STATED HE WAS NOT SURE OF HIS POSITION. BURBANK WAS UNABLE TO RADAR IDENTIFY THE PLANE AT LOW ALTITUDE. THE STUDENT DID NOT ATTEMPT TO PROCEED TO AN ALTERNATE WHERE VFR CONDITIONS EXISTED (AS PREVIOUSLY INSTRUCTED BY HIS CFI). HE TRIED CONTINUING THRU THE OVERCAST AND SUBSEQUENTLY CRASHED ON A 20 DEG RISING SLOPE ON A WESTERLY HEADING, IN ABOUT A 15 DEG NOSE UP ATTITUDE.
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: student
- Flight time: 35 hours in all; 3 in the last 90 days; 13 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,327 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 14 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Konski Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: C Turlock CA at 8:30 pm
- Destination: C Vannuys CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 150° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 136°F (58°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.