Cessna 172M accident near Palm Springs, California, December 13, 1995
On December 13, 1995 at about 10:51 pm local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N73601, was substantially damaged in an accident near Palm Springs, California (Palm Springs Regional airport). It was a personal 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inadequate bounced landing recovery technique, which resulted in porpoising during a downwind emergency landing. The loss of engine power for undetermined reasons was a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 13, 1995 · about 10:51 pm local time
- Place
- Palm Springs, California · Palm Springs Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N73601 · registry record · serial 17267570
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Tower personnel reported that the aircraft departed runway 31L and had reached 300 to 500 feet above ground level when the pilot radioed that he was experiencing engine difficulty. The pilot made a right 180-degree turn and was cleared to land on parallel runway 13L. The aircraft landed long on the runway and porpoised/bounced, collapsing the nosegear assembly. The aircraft came to rest upright at the departure end of runway 13L. The surface wind was northwesterly at 8 knots.
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: 711 hours in all; 671 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 604 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,438 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 6, 1995; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PSP at 10:45 pm
- Destination: TRM Thermal CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31L, 8,500 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:51 pm from PSP
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 LAX96LA071.