Cessna 172K N79910

Summary

On 23 January 2025 at about 23:15 local time, a Cessna 172K registered N79910 was involved in an accident near Columbia, California, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause has been published yet; this accident is still under investigation.

Date

23 January 2025 at 23:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Columbia, California, United States

Nearest airport

Columbia (O22)

Coordinates

38.0158, -120.4198

Aircraft

Cessna 172K

Registration

N79910

Category

Airplane

Year built

1969

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Acampo → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR25LA082

2 people were seriously injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. The investigation is still open; a final report usually follows one to two years after the accident.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

On January 23, 2025, about 1515 Pacific standard time, a Cessna 172K, N79910 , was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Columbia, California. The pilot and passenger sustained serious injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot stated that after departure he continued east to Columbia and entered the downwind leg of the traffic pattern at a 45° angle for runway 17. On the final approach, he noted that the airplane was high and maneuvered the airplane in a forward slip in an attempt to descend faster. As the airplane approached the runway, it was still too high, and the pilot determined there was not enough available distance to land safely. The pilot initiated a go-around by pushing the throttle fully forward to increase engine power and turned the carburetor heat off. Shortly thereafter, the engine rpm began to decrease. He verified that the mixture, throttle, and carburetor heat were all fully forward and confirmed that the fuel selector was set to both tanks. When he moved the throttle aft and forward, the engine briefly surged, and the rpm increased. As he searched for a suitable off-airport landing site, he observed that the surrounding terrain was hilly with trees and brush. The engine then lost rpm again. With limited options, he turned left in an attempt to return to the runway. While transmitting a radio call to report the engine failure, he noticed the radios had gone blank. The airplane collided with trees and impacted the ground in a nose-down attitude.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.