Cessna 172N N738LF

Summary

On 16 May 2009 at about 23:30 local time, a Cessna 172N registered N738LF, operated by California Flight Academy, was involved in an accident near Desert Center, California, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

16 May 2009 at 23:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Desert Center, California, United States

Nearest airport

Iron Mountain Pumping Plant (72CL)

Coordinates

34.1342, -115.1189

Aircraft

Cessna 172N

Registration

N738LF

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

California Flight Academy

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

El Cajon → El Cajon

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR09LA245

Nobody was injured.

A partial loss of engine power due to low compression from an obstructed intake valve. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to shut down the engine while in flight.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

In cruise flight, the airplane experienced a loss of power to the avionics. While focusing on that situation, the pilot reported a partial loss of engine power and the inability of the airplane to maintain altitude. The pilot elected to make a precautionary landing at a nearby airport. Believing he was in gliding distance of the airport, he shut down the engine. The approach was too high and the airplane overshot the runway. The pilot attempted a turn back to the runway; however, he had to make a sharper-than-normal turn due to wires in his immediate flight path. While performing the tighter turn, the airplane lost further altitude and the pilot had to make a forced landing adjacent to the runway on uneven terrain, coming to rest inverted. During a postaccident examination of the engine it was discovered that the number one cylinder's intake valve had deposits on the valve seat, preventing it from making a tight seal and resulting in the partial loss of engine power. No electrical problems could be identified during the examination.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.