Cessna 172N accident near Lytle Creek, California, December 7, 1997
On December 7, 1997 at about 5:45 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N3548E, was destroyed in an accident near Lytle Creek, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the non-instrument rated pilot's inadvertent VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), and subsequent loss of aircraft control, due to spatial disorientation. Factors relating to the accident were: the adverse weather conditions (low ceiling and fog), and the pilot's lack of instrument experience.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 7, 1997 · about 5:45 pm local time
- Place
- Lytle Creek, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N3548E · no longer on the register · serial 17271583
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The non-instrument rated pilot obtained a preflight weather briefing for a cross-country flight. About 30 minutes after the approximate departure time, witnesses in a mountainous area heard the sound of an aircraft impacting the terrain. The terrain was obscured in low clouds, and ground and air searchers were hampered by the clouds. The aircraft had descended into the mountainous terrain at a steep angle. The aircraft was fragmented, but all components were accounted for at the site. Postaccident examination of the aircraft and engine was made, but no preexisting condition or failed control system was found that would have caused the accident.
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: 320 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,309 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 1997
- Maximum gross weight: 2,220 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CCB Upland CA at 4:15 pm
- Destination: CXL Calexico CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:47 pm from ONT, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.