Cessna 172 accident near Upland, California, March 23, 1996
On March 23, 1996 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N7044T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Upland, California (Cable airport). It was a ferry flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
fuel system contamination and the pilot's intentional operation of a known unairworthy aircraft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 23, 1996 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Upland, California · Cable
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N7044T · no longer on the register · serial 46644
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he recently purchased the aircraft and was in the process of getting it into flyable condition so it could be moved to a maintenance facility at another airport. The pilot stated that after draining and refilling the fuel system several times, he believed that all water had been purged from the system. After a high speed taxi test the pilot decided to try one pattern circuit. Shortly after the takeoff, the engine quit completely. The aircraft had insufficient altitude to return to the airport and the pilot landed in a rock quarry. The airport manager said that the aircraft had been parked on the airport for 6 years, and to his knowledge had not flown in that time. The pilot told the fuel facility staff while he was purchasing 15 gallons of aviation gasoline in metal cans that he had drained a lot of water from the tanks and was still getting some. No records have been found of any annual inspection or other maintenance activity by aircraft mechanics on the aircraft since 1991. The FAA had not issued a ferry permit to move 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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,500 hours in all; 30 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CCB at 9:30 pm
- Destination: CNO Chino CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 3,865 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.
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.