A Cessna Flipped at John Wayne, and Nobody Agrees on Why

A small training plane flipped onto its roof at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, on Saturday afternoon, November 7, and the accounts of what happened do not line up. The Cessna 172, registered N57BM, came to rest upside down on the ACI Jet general aviation ramp at about 2:38 p.m. Nobody was injured, according to an airport spokesperson, and a crane was later used to set the aircraft back on its wheels.

The airport initially attributed the accident to high winds, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. The flight school that says it owns the plane, Orange County Flight Center, tells a different story: it says the Cessna was hit by jet blast from a United or Southwest airliner that was cleared to take off as the small plane left the ramp. A pilot taxiing behind reported on the ground frequency that they had been blasted by a United Boeing 737.

AeroCorner, which reviewed the airport’s weather observations around the time of the accident, found winds of just 6 knots with no gusts and clear skies, which sits awkwardly with the high-wind explanation. Official accounts also shifted on the basics: fire and airport officials first said the plane was parked and empty, then said a pilot and a passenger were aboard. The flight school described them as an instructor and a student.

The FAA, the NTSB and United did not respond to press questions, and AeroCorner found no NTSB case listed at the time of writing. The flight school also said ongoing construction at the airport is adversely affecting general aviation. It is not the first such case at John Wayne; a Cessna flipped there in strong gusts in 2023.

Sources: AeroCorner, Los Angeles Times via DNyuz