Topham's Ranch Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Auberry, California 93602
Sunday, October 2, 1988 13:23 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PILOT WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA THAT HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO LAND IN AND CIRCLED TO FAMILIARIZE HIMSELF WITH THE TERRAIN. HE THEN MADE A LOW PASS OVER THE DIRT RUNWAY AND CIRCLED TO LAND. THE FIRST ATTEMPT WAS DISCONTINUED BECAUSE THE PILOT FELT THAT HE AS TOO HIGH AND TOO FAST. HE WAS COMFORTABLE WITH THE SECOND ATTEMPT, BUT JUST BEFORE TOUCHDOWN, HE DECIDED TO GO AROUND DURING THE GO AROUND THE AIRPLANE COULD NOT PERFORM WELL ENOUGH TO CLEAR THE TERRAIN. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TREES AND THE GROUND AND THEN CAUGHT FIRE.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 10/2/1988
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1323
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City AUBERRY
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 93602
Event Date Year 1988
Event Date Month 10
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport TOPHAM'S RANCH
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1350 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 45
Weather Observation Facility ID FAT
Elevation of weather observation facility 332
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 35
Time Zone of the weather observation PDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 25000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 7
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 27
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 11
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 320
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 7
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 0
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Serious
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor 2
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 3
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1061
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Oct 2 1988 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1440
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 37108
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 12:13PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N20680
NTSB Number LAX89LA004
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 172M
Aircraft Series Identifier 172M
Aircraft Serial Number 17261487
Certified Max Gross Weight 2300
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Apr 8 1988 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 1077
Airframe Hours 4415
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name CHARLES A. STOCK
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 608
Aircraft Owner City REDWOOD CITY
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 94063
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 302 HILLER ST.
Operator City BELMONT
Operator State CA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 94063
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code SQL
Departure City SAN CARLOS
Departure State CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1130
Departure Time Zone PDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code
Destination City TOPHAM RANCH
Destination State CA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Go-around (VFR)
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 36
Runway Length 1900
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --