NTSB WPR23LA146 — 2023-04-01 · Santa Ana, California, United States

Current FAA registration · N1399U

Make / Model: CESSNA 172M
Year of manufacture: 1976 · 47 years old at event
Engine: LYCOMING O-320-E2D (150 hp)
Seats / Engines: 4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 20120913
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A0A046

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N1399U Cessna 172M None

Probable cause & findings

The flight instructor’s failure to maintain clearance from a commercial airliner which resulted in an encounter with wake turbulence and subsequent loss of control resulting in impact with terrain.

Factual narrative

The flight instructor reported that while practicing crosswind landings with his student, the tower advised the pilot of wake turbulence from a commercial airliner on the parallel runway. They flew a steeper approach but noticed a moderate right quartering headwind on the windsock. At about 100 feet above ground level the airplane encountered wake turbulence and banked sharply to the right. Both pilots added full left aileron and applied backpressure to the yoke as the airplane contacted the terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

— Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Turbulence-Wake turbulence-Ability to respond/compensate
— Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Descent/approach/glide path-Not attained/maintained
— Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Student/instructed pilot

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2023_WPR23LA146.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.

Related research

Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (icing, loss of control, wake turbulence, turbulence). All research papers