Cessna 172N accident near Avalon, California, April 4, 1997
On April 4, 1997 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N733CN, was destroyed in an accident near Avalon, California (Catalina airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's misjudging the airplane's altitude and distance to the runway and an excessive descent rate, which led to an undershoot, and the pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed during the approach. Contributing factors were the pilot's delay in initiating corrective action.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 4, 1997 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Avalon, California · Catalina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N733CN · registry record · serial 17268192
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The left seated pilot-in-command was flying the airplane while the right seated passenger, also a pilot, assisted in navigating. The pilot entered the right hand traffic pattern. To the pilot the airplane appeared slightly high turning onto the final approach leg, so full flaps were extended. The airplane descended below the level of the mountain top airport, and the pilot applied full engine power but did not retract the wing flaps. Seconds later the stall warning horn activated, the pilot banked right, and the airplane collided with the side of the cliff within 150 yards of the runway's approach end. A witness, who was awaiting takeoff, observed the approaching airplane. The witness stated that when the airplane was about 1/8 mile from the runway it was flying in a nose high attitude, its speed was slow, its flaps appeared fully extended, and it was very low.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 286 hours in all; 273 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 250 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,835 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 31, 1997; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Concord Flight International
The flight
- Departed from: CMA Camarillo CA at 9:00 pm
- Destination: AVX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 3,240 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 1,900 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:30 pm from AVX, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 LAX97LA141.