Cessna 172N accident near Buena Park, California, March 19, 1990
On March 19, 1990 at about 2:48 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N2985E, was destroyed in an accident near Buena Park, California (Fullerton Municipal airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT NOT MAINTAINING THE PRESCRIBED MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE DURING AN INSTRUMENT APPROACH.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 19, 1990 · about 2:48 pm local time
- Place
- Buena Park, California · Fullerton Municipal
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N2985E · registry record · serial 17271395
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
FOR OVER ONE YEAR THE INSTRUMENT-RATED PILOT REGULARLY FLEW HIMSELF TO WORK BETWEEN HIS SANTA BARBARA HOME AND HIS BUSINESS OFFICE NEAR THE SANTA ANA AIRPORT (SNA). UPON APPROACHING SNA THE PILOT MADE AN ILS APPROACH, FOLLOWED BY A MISSED APPROACH. HE CLIMBED TO 2,500 FEET AND DIVERTED TO THE FULLERTON AIRPORT (FUL). THE PILOT WAS CLEARED FOR A VOR APPROACH AND RADAR SERVICE WAS TERMINATED AT THE FAF. THE PILOT DESCENDED ON THE PRESCRIBED TRACK TOWARD FUL BUT FAILED TO ARREST HIS DESCENT AT THE MDA, COLLIDED WITH POWER LINES AND TERRAIN 1.9 STATUTE MILES BEFORE THE AIRPORT. THE 65-YR-OLD PILOT'S MEDICAL CERTIFICATE HAD EXPIRED. THE PILOT HAD A RECENT HISTORY OF HYPERTENSION, AND AT AUTOPSY EVDIECNE WAS FOUND OF HYPERTENSIVE CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,278 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 34 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 845 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,780 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 6, 1989
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: SBA Santa Barbara CA at 1:13 pm
- Destination: FUL Fullerton CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0, 3,121 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:46 pm from FUL, 2 miles away
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.
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 LAX90FA123.