Cessna 172N accident near San Carlos, California, February 17, 1991
On February 17, 1991 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N5300F, was substantially damaged in an accident near San Carlos, California (San Carlos airport). 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 PILOT'S IMPROPER FLARE LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 17, 1991 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- San Carlos, California · San Carlos · 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
- N5300F · registry record · serial 17273130
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
IN HIS STATEMENT THE PILOT SAID THAT WHILE ON HIS FOURTH CONSECUTIVE APPROACH AND WHILE OVER THE LANDING THRESHOLD, THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A DOWNDRAFT AND LANDED HARD. WINDS REPORTED BY THE TOWER FAVORED THE ACTIVE RUNWAY. ACCORDING TO THE TOWER'S WEATHER REPORT, NO WIND GUSTS OR TURBULENCE WAS PRESENT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
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: 236 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 161 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, January 2, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 3, 2,600 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 18 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 8:45 pm from SQL, 1 miles away
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.