Cessna 172M accident near Carmel Valley, California, November 10, 1991
On November 10, 1991 at about 7:49 pm local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N80274, was destroyed in an accident near Carmel Valley, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN A SAFE ALTITUDE ABOVE THE GROUND DURING AN INTENTIONAL LOW ALTITUDE FLIGHT IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS RELATED TO THE PILOT BECOMING DISTRACTED WHILE FLYING OVER THE GROUND AND TO HIS FAILURE TO INITIATE A CLIMB OR TAKE OTHER CORRECTIVE ACTION BY ALTERING HIS COURSE IN A TIMELY MANNER TO AVOID COLLIDING WITH THE MOUNTAIN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 10, 1991 · about 7:49 pm local time
- Place
- Carmel Valley, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N80274 · registry record · serial 17266489
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ON A CLR DAY WITH 15 MI VIS, THE PLT FLEW TO THE CARMEL VALLEY ARPT. WITNESSES SAID HE DSCNDD TO BTN 200' & 300' AGL (650' & 750' MSL), THEN FLEW PAST THE ARPT; INITIALLY THE GND TRACK WAS PARALLEL, BUT ABT 570 FT SOUTH OF RWY 29. WITNESSES SAID THE ACFT WAS FLYING SLOWLY; AFTER TRAVELING ABT 8/10 MI PAST THE ARPT, THE ACFT TURNED RGT & FLEW ABT 6/10 MI, HDG TWD THE RISING TRRN OF A BOX CANYON. JUST BFR IMPACT, THE ACFT BGN A LEFT TURN & COLLIDED WITH 40 DEG UPSLOPING TRRN AT ABT 850' MSL. THE PILOT HAD FLOWN THE ACFT TO THE SAME ARPT 7 WKS EARLIER. A PILOT EXAMINER RPRTD THE ARPT WAS CLEARLY VISIBLE FM THE AIR & WAS NOT DIFFICULT TO LOCATE, ESPECIALLY AFTER HAVING ONCE BEEN THERE. NO PREIMPACT MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND WITH THE AIRFRAME OR ENG.
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: 158 hours in all; 18 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 97 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,097 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 5, 1991; 89 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: WVI Watsonville CA at 7:19 pm
- Destination: 062 Carmel Valley CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 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.
Other NTSB records under N80274 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.