What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 4, 2023 at approximately 1357 hours local time 2057 UTC, while attempting to land a Cessna 172N on runway 18, the pilot aborted landing and took back off. A witness observed the aircraft weathervaned and “crabbing”. The aircraft was heard increasing power and took back off with flaps full down. Flaps were observed retracting, but aircraft appeared behind the power curve and entered a stall, rolled left, inverted and impacted an empty industrial building approximately 1000 feet east of runway 18 off French Valley (F70) airport. The impact resulted in one fatality (pilot), three serious injuries (passengers) and the aircraft has been declared destroyed. At the scene the aircraft was intact, in an inverted position, no fire. It had compression wrinkles on the bottom of the fuselage. The forward fuselage was displaced downward relative the aircraft’s inverted position, both cowlings were separated. The aircraft was found with both fuel tanks ruptured, fuel staining on both wings, fuel present underneath the aircraft and the fuel selector in the “both” position. The aircraft was refueled with 11.8 gallons of fuel at approximately 1200 local the day of the accident. The fob verified the aircraft was full with only one-half inch of space remaining from the top of the tanks. It flew one flight prior on the same track for 35 minutes for a 70 minutes of flight time. Engine throttle was in the “full throttle” position, mixture was “rich”. Trim tab was in the full “nose up” position. Flap indicator showed 20 degrees, however the flaps appeared fully retracted when examined. Striations and witness marks on the building, concrete and aircraft indicate the aircraft was under power and the propeller spinning at the time of the accident. The aircraft teardown was completed on 7/6/2023 with representatives from the FAA, NTSB, Textron and Lycoming. During the teardown, continuity was traced throughout the aircraft flight control cables and found to be continuous, the trim tab exhibited a 15 degree tab up and flap actuator extension was consistent with the full up position. The fuel system was tested and pneumatic air was blown through the system, there were no signs of obstructions or contamination. The fuel strainer filter was free of debris and the fuel selector actuator was in the “both” position. The engine remained partially attached at the two left side engine mounts. Cooling fins for cylinders one and two were damaged and the intake push tube to cylinder two was crushed. The starter exhibited a score mark at the one o’clock position, consistent with contact from the starter ring gear. The cylinders were examined and compression observed on cylinders one, three, and four. Gross operating weight for the aircraft is 2300LBS. The current calculated weight for the passengers and fuel is 2279LBS, center of gravity in the middle.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 4, 2023 AT APPROXIMATELY 1357 HOURS LOCAL TIME 2057 UTC, WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND A CESSNA 172N ON RUNWAY 18, THE PILOT ABORTED LANDING AND TOOK BACK OFF. A WITNESS OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT WEATHERVANED AND “CRABBING”. THE AIRCRAFT WAS HEARD INCREASING POWER AND TOOK BACK OFF WITH FLAPS FULL DOWN. FLAPS WERE OBSERVED RETRACTING, BUT AIRCRAFT APPEARED BEHIND THE POWER CURVE AND ENTERED A STALL, ROLLED LEFT, INVERTED AND IMPACTED AN EMPTY INDUSTRIAL BUILDING APPROXIMATELY 1000 FEET EAST OF RUNWAY 18 OFF FRENCH VALLEY (F70) AIRPORT. THE IMPACT RESULTED IN ONE FATALITY (PILOT), THREE SERIOUS INJURIES (PASSENGERS) AND THE AIRCRAFT HAS BEEN DECLARED DESTROYED. AT THE SCENE THE AIRCRAFT WAS INTACT, IN AN INVERTED POSITION, NO FIRE. IT HAD COMPRESSION WRINKLES ON THE BOTTOM OF THE FUSELAGE. THE FORWARD FUSELAGE WAS DISPLACED DOWNWARD RELATIVE THE AIRCRAFT’S INVERTED POSITION, BOTH COWLINGS WERE SEPARATED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND WITH BOTH FUEL TANKS RUPTURED, FUEL STAINING ON BOTH WINGS, FUEL PRESENT UNDERNEATH THE AIRCRAFT AND THE FUEL SELECTOR IN THE “BOTH” POSITION. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REFUELED WITH 11.8 GALLONS OF FUEL AT APPROXIMATELY 1200 LOCAL THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT. THE FOB VERIFIED THE AIRCRAFT WAS FULL WITH ONLY ONE-HALF INCH OF SPACE REMAINING FROM THE TOP OF THE TANKS. IT FLEW ONE FLIGHT PRIOR ON THE SAME TRACK FOR 35 MINUTES FOR A 70 MINUTES OF FLIGHT TIME. ENGINE THROTTLE WAS IN THE “FULL THROTTLE” POSITION, MIXTURE WAS “RICH”. TRIM TAB WAS IN THE FULL “NOSE UP” POSITION. FLAP INDICATOR SHOWED 20 DEGREES, HOWEVER THE FLAPS APPEARED FULLY RETRACTED WHEN EXAMINED. STRIATIONS AND WITNESS MARKS ON THE BUILDING, CONCRETE AND AIRCRAFT INDICATE THE AIRCRAFT WAS UNDER POWER AND THE PROPELLER SPINNING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT TEARDOWN WAS COMPLETED ON 7/6/2023 WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE FAA, NTSB, TEXTRON AND LYCOMING. DURING THE TEARDOWN, CONTINUITY WAS TRACED THROUGHOUT THE AIRCRAFT FLIGHT CONTROL CABLES AND FOUND TO BE CONTINUOUS, THE TRIM TAB EXHIBITED A 15 DEGREE TAB UP AND FLAP ACTUATOR EXTENSION WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE FULL UP POSITION. THE FUEL SYSTEM WAS TESTED AND PNEUMATIC AIR WAS BLOWN THROUGH THE SYSTEM, THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF OBSTRUCTIONS OR CONTAMINATION. THE FUEL STRAINER FILTER WAS FREE OF DEBRIS AND THE FUEL SELECTOR ACTUATOR WAS IN THE “BOTH” POSITION. THE ENGINE REMAINED PARTIALLY ATTACHED AT THE TWO LEFT SIDE ENGINE MOUNTS. COOLING FINS FOR CYLINDERS ONE AND TWO WERE DAMAGED AND THE INTAKE PUSH TUBE TO CYLINDER TWO WAS CRUSHED. THE STARTER EXHIBITED A SCORE MARK AT THE ONE O’CLOCK POSITION, CONSISTENT WITH CONTACT FROM THE STARTER RING GEAR. THE CYLINDERS WERE EXAMINED AND COMPRESSION OBSERVED ON CYLINDERS ONE, THREE, AND FOUR. GROSS OPERATING WEIGHT FOR THE AIRCRAFT IS 2300LBS. THE CURRENT CALCULATED WEIGHT FOR THE PASSENGERS AND FUEL IS 2279LBS, CENTER OF GRAVITY IN THE MIDDLE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.