Cessna 172P accident near Big Sur, California, June 9, 1992
On June 9, 1992 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N5449K, was destroyed in an accident near Big Sur, California. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
PILOT INCAPACITION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 9, 1992 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Big Sur, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N5449K · no longer on the register · serial 1727416
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLIGHT WAS A SCENIC TOUR OF THE COAST LINE. THE PLT HAD ADVISED ATC THAT HE WOULD BE DESCENDING BELOW THE COASTAL MOUNTAINS. THERE WAS NO FURTHER CONTACT WITH THE AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED UPSLOPING TERRAIN IN A NEAR WINGS LEVEL ATTITUDE. NO PRE-IMPACT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE AIRFRAME OR ENGINE WAS FOUND. THE PILOT HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN DENIED A MEDICAL CERTIFICATE DURING THE 7 YEARS PRECEDING THE ACCIDENT DUE TO A CEREBELLAR STROKE, BUT HAD REGAINED THE CERTIFICATE ABOUT 1-1/2 YEARS BEFORE 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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,362 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 154 in the last 90 days; 61 in the last 30 days; 5,979 as pilot in command; 4,517 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,443 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 20, 1992; 68 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Del Monte Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: MRY Monterey CA at 10:25 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:48 pm from MRY, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.