Cessna 172N accident near Lompoc, California, May 25, 1993
On May 25, 1993 at about 9:30 am local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N4783J, was destroyed in an accident near Lompoc, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
VFR FLIGHT BY THE PILOT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC), AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALTITUDE (OR CLEARANCE) FROM MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. FACTORS RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE LOW CEILING, FOG, DRIZZLE, OBSCURATION, AND MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 25, 1993 · about 9:30 am local time
- Place
- Lompoc, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N4783J · no longer on the register · serial 17273676
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED PALM SPRINGS AIRPORT AT ABOUT 2335 HOURS ON A FLIGHT TO LOMPOC, CALIFORNIA. AN ELT SIGNAL WAS RECEIVED AT ABOUT 0930 HOURS THE FOLLOWING MORNING BY NEARBY AIR FORCE BASE PERSONNEL. A SEARCH WAS INITIATED, AND THE AIRPLANE WAS LOCATED AT ABOUT 1310 HOURS. IMPACT OCCURRED ON A HILLSIDE ABOUT 5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE AIRPORT. WITNESSES IN THE AREA REPORTED THAT THE MOUNTAIN TOPS NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE WERE OBSCURED WITH NEAR ZERO VISIBILITY. THE AIRPLANE HIT A HILL AT THE 1487 FOOT LEVEL, APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET FROM THE TOP OF THE HILL. THE PILOT BEGAN THE FLIGHT AFTER WORKING FROM 1500 HOURS TO 2330 HOURS. HE FILED A VFR FLIGHT PLAN, BUT DID NOT ACTIVATE IT. THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED TAKING OFF ON A CLOSED RUNWAY AT PALM SPRINGS AIRPORT. THE PILOT HAD 2 HOURS OF ACTUAL INSTRUMENT TIME. THE NDB-B APPROACH PLATE FOR LOMPOC, CALIFORNIA WAS FOUND CLIPPED OPEN IN THE AIRCRAFT.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 325 hours in all; 70 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 275 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,911 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 21, 1993; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Bermuda Air Services
The flight
- Departed from: PSP Palm Springs CA at 6:30 am
- Destination: LPC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.