Cessna 172M accident near Pacific Ocean, California, August 20, 2022
On August 20, 2022 at about 11:36 pm local time, a 1974 Cessna 172M, registered N9670V, was involved in an accident near Pacific Ocean, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Undetermined because the airplane and pilot were not located.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 20, 2022 · about 11:36 pm local time
- Place
- Pacific Ocean, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M, built 1974 · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N9670V · registry record · serial 17264450
- Damage
- Damage not recorded
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Concerned parties reported the pilot missing after not returning from a flight. Multiple agencies conducted a search for the missing pilot and airplane, however, neither the pilot, airplane, nor wreckage debris was located. Radar data believed to represent the missing airplane showed a westerly track over the Pacific Ocean. The last known radar position was about 140 miles west of the Pacific shoreline.
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
What happened, in order
- Missing aircraft during unknown defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: flight engineer, private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: O41 Woodland CA at 10:50 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 190° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.73 inHg
Weather report (METAR): METAR KSMF 210453Z 19007KT 10SM CLR 26/12 A2973 RMK AO2 SLP067 T02610122=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on August 15, 2023. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Memorandum for Record A�� Telephone Interview Shane Nichol's (Son of Pilot) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | radar Tracking - US Airforce | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for Record A�� Yolo County Police Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Reports from Federal Agencies - Alnot | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 WPR22LA371.