Cessna 172 accident near Camarillo, California, June 29, 1996
On June 29, 1996 at about 5:52 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N9408L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Camarillo, California (Camarillo 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 student pilot misjudged the landing flare resulting in a hard landing. A factor in the accident was high airspeed.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 29, 1996 · about 5:52 pm local time
- Place
- Camarillo, California · Camarillo · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N9408L · registry record · serial 172-76551
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was number 2 to land behind another aircraft on the runway. The pilot made several power adjustments to slow the airplane to increase the spacing while on final approach. The pilot then increased power to stay above stall speed. As the airplane flew over the runway threshold the speed was too high and the pilot misjudged the flare and bounced hard during touchdown.
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
What happened, in order
- HARD LANDING during landing - flare/touchdown
- NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED during landing - roll
Pilot
- Ratings: none, none, none, none
- Flight time: 23 hours in all; 23 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: class 3
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,761 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, June 28, 1996; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-1D2J (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Sun Air Aviaition, INC.
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: CMA at 5:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 6,010 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°C, dew point 61°C
- Altimeter: 29 inHg
- Observation at 6:48 pm from CMA
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 LAX96LA250.