Cessna 172N accident near Fullerton, California, August 10, 1996
On August 10, 1996 at about 6:46 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N42ES, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fullerton, California (Fullerton Municipal 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 misjudged glide path and delayed remedial action by not promptly initiating a go-around. A contributing factor was the pilot's lack of experience flying the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 10, 1996 · about 6:46 pm local time
- Place
- Fullerton, California · Fullerton Municipal
- 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
- N42ES · registry record · serial 17268070
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, no mechanical problems were noted with the airplane during his flight from Santa Ana to Fullerton. The pilot reported that the airplane was slightly high on approach to Fullerton's runway 24, which is 3,121 feet long, so he initiated a go-around passing midfield. Seconds later, upon perceiving a degradation in climb performance, he terminated the attempted go-around and the airplane collided with the airport's perimeter fence. The pilot subsequently reported that during his landing approach the flaps had malfunctioned. The FAA examined the flap operating system and the engine. No evidence of any preimpact malfunction was found. The 124-hour total time pilot had received a private pilot certificate 3 months earlier. His total experience flying the Cessna was 4 hours.
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: 124 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 15 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 22, 1996
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Orange County Flight Center
The flight
- Departed from: SNA Orange County CA at 6:30 pm
- Destination: FUL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 3,121 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:59 pm from FUL, 1 miles away
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.