Cessna 172 M accident near Woodland Hills, California, July 16, 1984
On July 16, 1984 at about 3:13 am local time, a Cessna 172 M, registered N20333, was substantially damaged in an accident near Woodland Hills, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 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
- July 16, 1984 · about 3:13 am local time
- Place
- Woodland Hills, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 M · all 172 Ms on the register
- Registration
- N20333 · no longer on the register · serial 17261198
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT MADE A FORCED LANDING ON CITY STREET AFTER A PARTIAL POWER LOSS. THE PRIVATE PLT WAS CARRYING PASSENGERS AND HAD REPORTEDLY NOT BRIEFED THEM ON EMERGENCIES. HE ALSO DID NOT FASTEN HIS SHOULDER HARNESS BECAUSE HE DID NOT KNOW HOW TO CONNECT IT. AFTER TAKEOFF THE ACFT CLIMBED TO 3500 FT. SUDDENLY THE ENGINE WENT TO IDLE RPM. THE PLT REVERSED COURSE AND CALLED THE TOWER. HE PUMPED THE THROTTLE TRYING TO GET POWER. A POLICEMAN WHO OBSERVED THE DESCENDING ACFT SAID IT WAS GOING SLOW WITH BLACK SMOKE TRAILING IT. AFTER TOUCHDOWN THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH TREES, POLES AND A FENCE. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE CARBURETOR HAD FAILED. 5 DAYS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT THE OWNER HAD SAFETY WIRED THE CARBURETOR TO HOLD IT TOGETHER SINCE THE SCREWS WERE STRIPPED. IT WAS ALSO FOUND THAT THE SEAT BELTS WERE NOT CESSNA PRODUCTS AND THE SHOULDER HARNESS WOULD NOT ATTACH TO THE LAP BELTS.
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: 52 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 23 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,756 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 6, 1984; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VNY Van Nuys CA at 3:03 am
- Destination: VNY Van Nuys CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.