Cessna 172N accident near Long Beach, California, July 10, 2023
On July 10, 2023 at about 9:25 pm local time, a 1979 Cessna 172N, registered N3307E, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (aborted after touchdown) near Long Beach, California (Long Beach Airport (Daugherty). It was an instructional 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
The student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing and the subsequent go-around, which resulted in impact with a hangar.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 10, 2023 · about 9:25 pm local time
- Place
- Long Beach, California · Long Beach Airport (Daugherty · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N, built 1979 · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N3307E · no longer on the register · serial 17271499
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported that he was on the ramp, observing his student pilot practice landings while flying solo. During the student pilot’s first landing, he observed the left wing and main gear lift, and the student pilot overcorrected to the left and exited the runway into grass. The student pilot elected to execute a go-around, but impacted the rooftop of a hangar. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The instructor reported there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (aborted after touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Configuration › Incorrect use/operation
- Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Total experience › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 53 hours in all; 53 in this make and model; 27 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,059 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 23, 2023
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0-320 SERIES (piston); 1,453 hours total
- Operator: Pacific Air Flight School, LLC
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26L, 6,192 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from KLGB
Weather report (METAR): KLGB 102053Z 18006KT 10SM CLR 24/15 A2990 RMK AO2 SLP123 T02440150 58011 $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on November 2, 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Video File | AVI file | Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.