Cessna 172F accident near San Pablo Bay, California, February 14, 1997
On February 14, 1997 at about 3:30 am local time, a Cessna 172F, registered N3757F, was substantially damaged in an accident near San Pablo Bay, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
total loss of engine power due to carburetor icing and the pilot's failure to use carburetor heat.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 14, 1997 · about 3:30 am local time
- Place
- San Pablo Bay, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172F · all 172Fs on the register
- Registration
- N3757F · no longer on the register · serial 17255252
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A few minutes after takeoff the engine began to run rough and quit, forcing the pilot to ditch. After ditching, the aircraft partially sank in the shallow bay. The pilot sprained his ankle during the water landing and decided to stay with the aircraft. He was located the following morning after manually activating the ELT. The aircraft had last been refueled several weeks before the accident but had not flown until the day of the accident. The pilot estimated there were 28 gallons of fuel remaining. The aircraft logbooks did not reveal any discrepancies. The aircraft was not inspected after the accident. The temperature dew point spread noted in the carburetor icing probability chart is 'moderate icing - cruise power or serious icing - glide power.'
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,125 hours in all; 275 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 3,469 as pilot in command; 1,082 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,060 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 13, 1996; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 0Q3 Sonoma Valley CA at 3:20 am
- Destination: O56 Novato CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 140° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:45 am from STS, 36 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.