Cessna 172 accident near San Jacinto, California, January 8, 1993
On January 8, 1993, a Cessna 172, registered N20513, was destroyed in an accident near San Jacinto, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FLIGHT'S ENCOUNTER WITH UNFORECAST CLEAR AIR TURBULENCE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made September 29, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 8, 1993
- Place
- San Jacinto, California
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N20513 · registry record · serial 6151
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS WHILE FLYING AT 10,500 FEET MSL ABOVE THE OVERCAST OVER A MOUNTAINOUS AREA. THE FLIGHT ENCOUNTERED SEVERE CLEAR AIR TURBULENCE CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO ENTER INTO AN UNCONTROLLED ROLL. WHEN THE PILOT REGAINED CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT IT HAD ENTERED THE CLOUDS. BEFORE THE PILOT COULD EFFECT A TOTAL RECOVERY THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH THE TREES AT THE CREST OF THE MOUNTAIN. THE ACCIDENT SITE ELEVATION IS 9,277 FEET MSL.
The NTSB's narratives can run to many pages; this is the opening. Read the full report at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N20513 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database and is rewritten in plain English only where the NTSB used codes; the probable cause and narrative are the NTSB's own words. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX93LA091.