Cessna 172N N6280F

Summary

On 22 December 2021 at about 21:50 local time, a Cessna 172N registered N6280F, operated by Fox Two, LLC, was involved in an accident near Auburn, California, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

22 December 2021 at 21:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Auburn, California, United States

Nearest airport

Auburn Municipal Airport (KAUN)

Coordinates

38.9432, -121.1342

Aircraft

Cessna 172N

Registration

N6280F

Category

Airplane

Year built

1979

Engines

1

Operator

Fox Two, LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Placerville → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR22LA069

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain altitude during an instrument approach, which resulted in an impact with power lines.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The operator reported that the pilot was on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan and was on a return flight to an airport after retrieving a company airplane. Radar data revealed that while on the approach path to land, about 3 miles from the destination airport, the airplane descended to 25 ft above the ground and shortly thereafter, the airplane impacted powerlines and came to rest on a rooftop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, the fuselage, and empennage. A local law enforcement officer reported that as the pilot was being transported to the hospital, he stated that he was disoriented during the approach. The officer added that the visibility during the time of the accident was less than ¼ of a mile. The operator reported that the pilot did not inform him or the other company pilot flying ahead of him in another airplane of any mechanical malfunctions or failures to the airplane or engine that would have precluded normal operation prior to or during the flight.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.