Cessna 172P accident near Livermore, California, April 1, 1993
On April 1, 1993 at about 4:23 am local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N97462, was destroyed in an accident near Livermore, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S DECISION TO ATTEMPT VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S LACK OF RECENT INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE, THE RAIN AND HIGH WIND CONDITIONS IN THE AREA.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 1, 1993 · about 4:23 am local time
- Place
- Livermore, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N97462 · no longer on the register · serial 17276192
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING A NIGHT FLIGHT, THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH HILLY TERRAIN IN A NEAR WINGS LEVEL ATTITUDE. WEATHER IN THE AREA AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS FOUND DURING THE ENGINE INSPECTION ON SITE. THE PILOT WAS INSTRUMENT RATED, BUT A REVIEW OF LOGBOOK ENTRIES REVEALED THAT HE WAS NOT INSTRUMENT CURRENT. THE PILOT HAD CONTACTED THE CONTROL TOWER AND REQUESTED A TRANSITION THROUGH THEIR AREA, AND THEN ADVISED THE TOWER HE WAS GOING TO PERFORM A 180 DEGREE TURN. NO FURTHER TRANSMISSIONS WERE RECEIVED BY THE TOWER.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 760 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 57 in the last 90 days; 31 in the last 30 days; 680 as pilot in command; 275 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,806 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 26, 1993; 53 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Business Aircraft Center, INC
The flight
- Departed from: 022 Columbia CA
- Destination: HWD Hayward CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 229° at 18 knots, gusting 45
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.