Cessna 172N accident near Joshua Tree, California, October 30, 1993
On October 30, 1993 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N8279E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Joshua Tree, California (Hi Desert airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain a proper descent rate on final approach. A factor in the accident was the student's limited total experience.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 30, 1993 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Joshua Tree, California · Hi Desert · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N8279E · registry record · serial 17272166
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 22 hour student pilot rented the aircraft to practice takeoff and landings. The pilot reported that all aspects of the approach were normal with a stabilized 400 feet per minute descent rate until the aircraft was about 200 feet AGL on short final. The pilot said that the aircraft suddenly encountered a strong sink rate accompanied by a loss of airspeed. The pilot said he immediately applied power and increased the pitch attitude; however, the descent rate could not be arrested prior to the aircraft's main landing gear colliding with a dirt berm about 30 feet short of the runway.
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: student
- Flight time: 22 hours in all; 22 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,701 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 23, 1993; 23 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: L80 at 2:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 2,600 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. 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 LAX94LA032.