NTSB Factual Report

On September 7, 2017, about 1400 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N737QQ impacted trees near the Point Reyes Bird Observatory, Bolinas, California. The airplane was operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal cross-country flight. The private pilot, the sole occupant, rented the airplane from SunWest Aviation, Santa Ynez, California. The pilot was fatally injured, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight that departed from Santa Ynez Airport (IZA) about 1130, and a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan had been filed for a portion of the flight. The flight was destined for the Charles M. Schulz – Sonoma County Airport (STS), Santa Rosa, California.

The flight was the subject of an Alert Notification (ALNOT), that was issued by Oakland Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) on September 7, 2017, when radar contact with the airplane was lost.

The airplane was located in a densely forested area by officers of the Point Reyes National Park Service on September 8, 2017. The entire airplane came to rest at the accident site on a northerly heading. The first identified point of impact (FIPC) was the left wing that impacted near the top of a 60-foot Douglas fir tree. The main wreckage was about 50 feet forward of the FIPC at the base of a tree, and came to rest inverted. To the north of the main wreckage was the roof of the cockpit followed by the engine. While the fuselage was north of the FIPC, it came to rest on a southerly heading.

At the time of the accident a fog layer was present over the Point Reyes National Park, that encompassed the accident site.