What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On December 22, 2021, about 1505 pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172 n, N6280F, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident in Auburn, California. The pilot was the only soul on board and he was seriously injured. The aircraft was operated as a title 14 code of federal regulations part 91 flight.
Inspector privacy data omitted (iic) and inspector privacy data omitted performed the on-site accident investigation on Thursday December 23, 2021.
At approximately 1505 PST on December 22, 2021 Cessna 172N, N6280F was involved in an aircraft accident while on a 2 mile final approach to Auburn municipal airport (kaun). Initial impact points and where the aircraft came to rest showed it was on an approximate heading of 048 degrees. The aircraft impacted a power line (approximately 50/60 ft. AGL) then several tree tops (approximately 40/50 ft. AGL) before impacting and coming to rest on the roof of a home on privacy data omitted. Approximate distance from the power line to aircraft final resting point is 350-400 ft. the forward fuselage forward of the baggage compartment came to rest on the front roof and the tail section came to rest on the back roof and patio area. Both LH and RH wings showed signs of impact damage as did the vertical stabilizer. Both the LH and RH fuel tanks were breached so inspection of fuel quantity could not be performed. Initial walk through of the accident sight revealed the VOR indicator approximately 60 ft. in front of the home and fragmented into several pieces. Several pieces if interior plastic trim was located in front of the home, one was distinguishable as the LH (pilots) fwd door post because of attached map light and switch. A portion of the pitot tube was located 15 ft. in front of the house. The magnetic compass was found approximately 20 ft. from the LH side of the home. Fragments of the windshield were found at the base of the first tree the aircraft impacted. A fragment of the engine starter ring gear was found on the back patio. Debris from the impacted trees was present from initial contact points throughout the backyard and up onto the back patio. The aircraft POH was strewn all over the back patio.
After the aircraft came to rest the homeowner stated that the pilot fell thru the ceiling in a hallway from the attic prior to her calling 911.
Observance of the removal of the main portion of the fuselage showed that it was highly fragmented and was mainly in the attic in the front portion of the home. Control cable could not be verified due to the amount of aircraft damage. The bulk of the aircraft contents were located in the attic of the home and removed by the recovery crew.
First responders said when they arrived on the scene there was a strong odor of fuel. Once contact was made with the pilot inside the home they said he appeared lucid and he stated he had become ?dis-oriented? Prior to impact. The sheriff that was on scene said that visibility was approximately 1/16TH of a mile when he arrived on the scene.
We traveled to kaun to privacy data omitted (operator of the aircraft) to view aircraft records, photos were taken of pertinent logbooks and of documentation the operator had on the pilot.
As the FAA filed it
ON DECEMBER 22, 2021, ABOUT 1505 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 172 N, N6280F, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT IN AUBURN, CALIFORNIA. THE PILOT WAS THE ONLY SOUL ON BOARD AND HE WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATED AS A TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 FLIGHT.
INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ (IIC) AND INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PERFORMED THE ON-SITE ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION ON THURSDAY DECEMBER 23, 2021.
AT APPROXIMATELY 1505 PST ON DECEMBER 22, 2021 CESSNA 172N, N6280F WAS INVOLVED IN AN AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT WHILE ON A 2 MILE FINAL APPROACH TO AUBURN MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KAUN). INITIAL IMPACT POINTS AND WHERE THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST SHOWED IT WAS ON AN APPROXIMATE HEADING OF 048 DEGREES. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED A POWER LINE (APPROXIMATELY 50/60 FT. AGL) THEN SEVERAL TREE TOPS (APPROXIMATELY 40/50 FT. AGL) BEFORE IMPACTING AND COMING TO REST ON THE ROOF OF A HOME ON ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. APPROXIMATE DISTANCE FROM THE POWER LINE TO AIRCRAFT FINAL RESTING POINT IS 350-400 FT. THE FORWARD FUSELAGE FORWARD OF THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT CAME TO REST ON THE FRONT ROOF AND THE TAIL SECTION CAME TO REST ON THE BACK ROOF AND PATIO AREA. BOTH LH AND RH WINGS SHOWED SIGNS OF IMPACT DAMAGE AS DID THE VERTICAL STABILIZER. BOTH THE LH AND RH FUEL TANKS WERE BREACHED SO INSPECTION OF FUEL QUANTITY COULD NOT BE PERFORMED. INITIAL WALK THROUGH OF THE ACCIDENT SIGHT REVEALED THE VOR INDICATOR APPROXIMATELY 60 FT. IN FRONT OF THE HOME AND FRAGMENTED INTO SEVERAL PIECES. SEVERAL PIECES IF INTERIOR PLASTIC TRIM WAS LOCATED IN FRONT OF THE HOME, ONE WAS DISTINGUISHABLE AS THE LH (PILOTS) FWD DOOR POST BECAUSE OF ATTACHED MAP LIGHT AND SWITCH. A PORTION OF THE PITOT TUBE WAS LOCATED 15 FT. IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE. THE MAGNETIC COMPASS WAS FOUND APPROXIMATELY 20 FT. FROM THE LH SIDE OF THE HOME. FRAGMENTS OF THE WINDSHIELD WERE FOUND AT THE BASE OF THE FIRST TREE THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED. A FRAGMENT OF THE ENGINE STARTER RING GEAR WAS FOUND ON THE BACK PATIO. DEBRIS FROM THE IMPACTED TREES WAS PRESENT FROM INITIAL CONTACT POINTS THROUGHOUT THE BACKYARD AND UP ONTO THE BACK PATIO. THE AIRCRAFT POH WAS STREWN ALL OVER THE BACK PATIO.
AFTER THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST THE HOMEOWNER STATED THAT THE PILOT FELL THRU THE CEILING IN A HALLWAY FROM THE ATTIC PRIOR TO HER CALLING 911.
OBSERVANCE OF THE REMOVAL OF THE MAIN PORTION OF THE FUSELAGE SHOWED THAT IT WAS HIGHLY FRAGMENTED AND WAS MAINLY IN THE ATTIC IN THE FRONT PORTION OF THE HOME. CONTROL CABLE COULD NOT BE VERIFIED DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF AIRCRAFT DAMAGE. THE BULK OF THE AIRCRAFT CONTENTS WERE LOCATED IN THE ATTIC OF THE HOME AND REMOVED BY THE RECOVERY CREW.
FIRST RESPONDERS SAID WHEN THEY ARRIVED ON THE SCENE THERE WAS A STRONG ODOR OF FUEL. ONCE CONTACT WAS MADE WITH THE PILOT INSIDE THE HOME THEY SAID HE APPEARED LUCID AND HE STATED HE HAD BECOME ?DIS-ORIENTED? PRIOR TO IMPACT. THE SHERIFF THAT WAS ON SCENE SAID THAT VISIBILITY WAS APPROXIMATELY 1/16TH OF A MILE WHEN HE ARRIVED ON THE SCENE.
WE TRAVELED TO KAUN TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ (OPERATOR OF THE AIRCRAFT) TO VIEW AIRCRAFT RECORDS, PHOTOS WERE TAKEN OF PERTINENT LOGBOOKS AND OF DOCUMENTATION THE OPERATOR HAD ON THE PILOT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.