What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On January 24, 2023 at approximatly 0835 pacific daylight time, a Cessna T201N was involved in a non-fatal accident causing a total loss to the airframe at French Valley Airport (F70) in Murrieta, California. The accident had 1 person with minor injuries which was the pilot in command (PIC) and 1 person with serious injuries (passenger which was a rated pilot). No other persons were onboard. The flight was a part 91 leasure flight departing from long beach airport (lgb) to French Valley Airport (F70) for breakfast and was about 25 minutes in duration. The pilot in command indicated he believed the aircraft had slightly over a half tank of fuel in both left and right wings tanks based on the airplanes fuel tracking sheet and visually confirmed it with the fuel tank gauges. PIC reported that approximatly halfway into the flight he repositioned the fuel selector switch from the left to right tank and flew for another 13 minutes. The aircraft was flown overhead of the airport and entered a right downwind pattern for runway 36. Upon roll out to wings level on final approach, the PIC determined he needed to add power because it was further out and lower than expected. At this point the PIC realized the engine did not respond to the throttle input. The PIC attempted to exercise the throttle and on turned on the elctric fuel boost pump with no response from the engine. The airplane impacted the left side of a ravine located about 2000 feet south of the end of runway 36. The left wing and tire contacted the ground first and then slide upright down the ravine for about 100 feet flipped over and then slide for another 20 feet upside down to its final resting place. Weather reports at the time of the accident indicated visual meteorlogical conditions with light winds.
Cause of the accident has yet to be determined.
As the FAA filed it
ON JANUARY 24, 2023 AT APPROXIMATLY 0835 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA T201N WAS INVOLVED IN A NON-FATAL ACCIDENT CAUSING A TOTAL LOSS TO THE AIRFRAME AT FRENCH VALLEY AIRPORT (F70) IN MURRIETA, CALIFORNIA. THE ACCIDENT HAD 1 PERSON WITH MINOR INJURIES WHICH WAS THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) AND 1 PERSON WITH SERIOUS INJURIES (PASSENGER WHICH WAS A RATED PILOT). NO OTHER PERSONS WERE ONBOARD. THE FLIGHT WAS A PART 91 LEASURE FLIGHT DEPARTING FROM LONG BEACH AIRPORT (LGB) TO FRENCH VALLEY AIRPORT (F70) FOR BREAKFAST AND WAS ABOUT 25 MINUTES IN DURATION. THE PILOT IN COMMAND INDICATED HE BELIEVED THE AIRCRAFT HAD SLIGHTLY OVER A HALF TANK OF FUEL IN BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT WINGS TANKS BASED ON THE AIRPLANES FUEL TRACKING SHEET AND VISUALLY CONFIRMED IT WITH THE FUEL TANK GAUGES. PIC REPORTED THAT APPROXIMATLY HALFWAY INTO THE FLIGHT HE REPOSITIONED THE FUEL SELECTOR SWITCH FROM THE LEFT TO RIGHT TANK AND FLEW FOR ANOTHER 13 MINUTES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLOWN OVERHEAD OF THE AIRPORT AND ENTERED A RIGHT DOWNWIND PATTERN FOR RUNWAY 36. UPON ROLL OUT TO WINGS LEVEL ON FINAL APPROACH, THE PIC DETERMINED HE NEEDED TO ADD POWER BECAUSE IT WAS FURTHER OUT AND LOWER THAN EXPECTED. AT THIS POINT THE PIC REALIZED THE ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND TO THE THROTTLE INPUT. THE PIC ATTEMPTED TO EXERCISE THE THROTTLE AND ON TURNED ON THE ELCTRIC FUEL BOOST PUMP WITH NO RESPONSE FROM THE ENGINE. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE LEFT SIDE OF A RAVINE LOCATED ABOUT 2000 FEET SOUTH OF THE END OF RUNWAY 36. THE LEFT WING AND TIRE CONTACTED THE GROUND FIRST AND THEN SLIDE UPRIGHT DOWN THE RAVINE FOR ABOUT 100 FEET FLIPPED OVER AND THEN SLIDE FOR ANOTHER 20 FEET UPSIDE DOWN TO ITS FINAL RESTING PLACE. WEATHER REPORTS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT INDICATED VISUAL METEORLOGICAL CONDITIONS WITH LIGHT WINDS.
CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT HAS YET TO BE DETERMINED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.