Cessna 172N accident near Carlsbad, California, July 23, 1995
On July 23, 1995 at about 9:23 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N7141J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Carlsbad, California (Palomar airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's poorly planned approach, misjudged distance/altitude, and failure to make a go-around. The pilot inadvertently becoming lost and disoriented was a factor in this accident.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 23, 1995 · about 9:23 pm local time
- Place
- Carlsbad, California · Palomar · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N7141J · registry record · serial 17273902
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHEN THE PILOT APPROACHED THE DESTINATION AIRPORT HE REPORTED HIS POSITION TO THE LOCAL CONTROLLER. THE LOCAL CONTROLLER INSTRUCTED THE PILOT TO ENTER THE DOWNWIND LEG AND TO SQUAWK IDENT. THE PILOT SAID THAT THE TRANSPONDER IDENT MODE WAS INOPERATIVE AND THE CONTROLLER TOLD HIM THAT HE WAS NOT IN SIGHT AND INSTRUCTED HIM TO REPORT ON THE DOWNWIND LEG. THE PILOT BECAME DISORIENTED AND CONFUSED. WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF ANOTHER AIRPLANE, THE CONTROLLER WAS ABLE TO VISUALLY IDENTIFY THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE AND PROVIDE THE PILOT VERBAL GUIDANCE TO THE AIRPORT. AFTER MAKING ONE MISSED APPROACH, THE PILOT TOLD THE CONTROLLER HE HAD THE RUNWAY IN SIGHT. THE CONTROLLER CLEARED THE PILOT TO LAND. THE CONTROLLERS IN THE TOWER CAB AND ONE GROUND WITNESS SAID THE AIRPLANE'S FINAL APPROACH SPEED WAS FAST AND ITS FLAPS WERE RETRACTED. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT 500 FEET FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE EXITED THE END OF THE RUNWAY, WENT DOWN THE EMBANKMENT, AND NOSED OVER.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 533 hours in all; 6 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,438 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 1994; 23 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EMT El Monte CA at 8:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 4,700 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 800 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:25 pm from CRQ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 LAX95LA266.