Cessna 172 accident near Weaverville, California, June 10, 1999
On June 10, 1999 at about 1:00 am local time, a Cessna 172, registered N5577E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Weaverville, California (Weaverville airport). It was a personal flight 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
the pilot's failure to follow prescribed procedures and directives for the particular airport.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 10, 1999 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Weaverville, California · Weaverville · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N5577E · no longer on the register · serial 17271892
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot reported that he obtained his license so that he could make routine trips of a 100 plus miles over mountainous terrain for business. He had made the roundtrip several times but had never landed at any of the four alternate airports along the route. On the day of the accident he decided to take a friend with him on this routine trip and checkout the airports on the way back. The first airport was closed so they overflew the runway at 500 agl. They landed at the second airport, then departed. At the third airport they performed a touch-and-go landing. The pilot informed his passenger that they would not be landing at the fourth airport, but instead they would perform a low-level flyby. During the pilot's training his flight instructor had informed him that the accident airport was a one-way runway due to obstructions at the north end. According to published information you land on runway 36 and take off on runway 18 due to rising terrain and unfavorable winds. During the low-level flyby of runway 36, about 15 to 20 feet agl, the pilot reported that he experienced a strong downdraft, and subsequently during the attempted go-around into rising terrain, the airplane collided with trees. The pilot reported that the wind was 300 degrees at 10 knots. The density altitude was calculated about 3,773 feet.
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: 60 hours in all; 60 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 26 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,393 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 7, 1998; 84 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Hillside Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: Q72 Hayfork CA
- Destination: O85 Redding CA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 36, 2,980 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.