Cessna 172P accident near Van Nuys, California, November 25, 1996
On November 25, 1996 at about 9:35 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N54686, was substantially damaged in an accident near Van Nuys, California (Van Nuys airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
improper flare by the pilot during the landing, and his improper recovery from a bounced landing, which resulted in a hard landing, dragged wing tip, and a collapsed main gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 25, 1996 · about 9:35 pm local time
- Place
- Van Nuys, California · Van Nuys · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N54686 · no longer on the register · serial 17275036
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a private pilot practical flight test, the applicant (a student pilot) made a simulated soft field approach, and the aircraft bounced 5 to 6 feet in the air after touchdown. The student decided to go-around and applied full power, but the aircraft rolled left and drug its left wing tip. The flight examiner attempted to take control of the aircraft, but was unable to prevent it from again colliding with the runway. At the time of the accident, a 5-knot/80-degree left crosswind was reported. According to the aircraft manufacturer, the crosswind component was within the aircraft performance parameters.
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: student
- Flight time: 69 hours in all; 69 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 24 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,381 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 14, 1996; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Dls Ventures, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: VNY CA at 8:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16R, 8,001 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:56 pm from VNY
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.