Cessna 172N accident near Jamul, California, November 14, 1984
On November 14, 1984 at about 2:00 am local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N9405E, was destroyed in an accident near Jamul, California. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 14, 1984 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Jamul, California
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N9405E · registry record · serial 17272252
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE CERTIFIED FLT INSTRUCTOR AND PRIVATE RATED STUDENT PILOT DEPARTED ON A LOCAL INSTRUMENT INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED AT APRX 1715 AND AT 1750 AN ELT SIGNAL WAS REPORTED. THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED ATOP A HILL AT APRX THE 2000 FT LEVEL. THE EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF A MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE PRIOR TO THE GROUND IMPACT. THE WEATHER NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS REPORTED TO BE CLEAR.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 898 hours in all; 40 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 704 as pilot in command; 338 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,756 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 1984; 13 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SDM San Diego CA at 1:15 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Wind: from 320° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:52 am from SDM, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX85FA042.