Cessna 172N accident near Marina, California, June 24, 1983
On June 24, 1983 at about 7:35 am local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N733PP, was destroyed in an accident near Marina, California. It was a personal 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 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 24, 1983 · about 7:35 am local time
- Place
- Marina, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N733PP · no longer on the register · serial 17268445
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH THE WATER WHILE CIRCLING AT LOW ALT AT NIGHT. DURING THE MANEUVERING THE ENGINE ALSO WAS REPORTEDAS RUNNING ROUGH WHICH FURTHER DISTRACTED THE PLT. HE WAS ALREADY DISTRACTED TRYING TO IDENTIFY AN OBJECT IN THE WATER WHILE CIRCLING. WITHOUT REALIZING IT THE PLT ALLOWED THE ACFT TO DESCEND INTO THE WATER. THE PLT SAID THE WATER 'SORT OFSNUCK UP ON ME.' A WITNESS SAID HE OBSERVED THE ACFT OFF SHORE ABOUT 200 FT CIRCLING FOR 2 OR 3 MINUTES AT LESS THAN 100FT AGL.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 350 hours in all; 75 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,598 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 97 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Aero Trends, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: MRY Monterey Penins CA at 7:20 am
- Destination: RHV San Jose CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Wind: from 260° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.