What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 20, 2023, about 0830 pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172N, privacy data omitted, was
Substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Compton, California. The pilot
Sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a title 14 code of federal regulations
Part 91 flight.
The airplane had not been flown for a few months, and the pilot planned to perform a “return to
Service” flight for the owner, departing from Compton/Woodley Airport (cpm). He performed a
Preflight inspection, and visually checked fuel quantity through the filler cap openings, and via
The fuel gauges, and observed between 7 and 10 gallons per side. He noticed that the left main,
And nose tires were low, so he taxied the airplane to the fuel island to service them with air.
Because the airplane had been sitting outside unused, he decided to perform a long engine
Runup and a series of high-speed taxi runs and takeoff rolls.
The runup lasted between 15 to 20 minutes, during which he noticed that the engine was
Running rough on the right magneto. He pushed the throttle full forward, and leaned the mixture
To resolve the issue, and after another engine runup the roughness had resolved. He then
Began the high-speed takeoff runs, and with normal indications, he decided to continue with a
Flight on the third attempt.
After reaching about 50 to 100 ft AGL, the engine momentarily lost power, followed a short time
Later by a complete loss of power. He performed a forced landing directly ahead, during which
The left wing and forward fuselage sustained substantial damage after striking a parked
Vehicle. Arrived at cpt on September 21, 2024, and visually inspected aircraft in a hangar. A visual inspection via the right-wing fill cap revealed no fuel. The left-wing tank was breached during the forced landing, and no fuel was observed. The NTSB investigator inspected with a certificated A&P, FAA not available, and observed mostly water at the carburetor fuel strainer. Unable to determine total fuel at time of accident due to left wing tank breach.
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 20, 2023, ABOUT 0830 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 172N, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WAS
SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT NEAR COMPTON, CALIFORNIA. THE PILOT
SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED AS A TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS
PART 91 FLIGHT.
THE AIRPLANE HAD NOT BEEN FLOWN FOR A FEW MONTHS, AND THE PILOT PLANNED TO PERFORM A “RETURN TO
SERVICE” FLIGHT FOR THE OWNER, DEPARTING FROM COMPTON/WOODLEY AIRPORT (CPM). HE PERFORMED A
PREFLIGHT INSPECTION, AND VISUALLY CHECKED FUEL QUANTITY THROUGH THE FILLER CAP OPENINGS, AND VIA
THE FUEL GAUGES, AND OBSERVED BETWEEN 7 AND 10 GALLONS PER SIDE. HE NOTICED THAT THE LEFT MAIN,
AND NOSE TIRES WERE LOW, SO HE TAXIED THE AIRPLANE TO THE FUEL ISLAND TO SERVICE THEM WITH AIR.
BECAUSE THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN SITTING OUTSIDE UNUSED, HE DECIDED TO PERFORM A LONG ENGINE
RUNUP AND A SERIES OF HIGH-SPEED TAXI RUNS AND TAKEOFF ROLLS.
THE RUNUP LASTED BETWEEN 15 TO 20 MINUTES, DURING WHICH HE NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE WAS
RUNNING ROUGH ON THE RIGHT MAGNETO. HE PUSHED THE THROTTLE FULL FORWARD, AND LEANED THE MIXTURE
TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE, AND AFTER ANOTHER ENGINE RUNUP THE ROUGHNESS HAD RESOLVED. HE THEN
BEGAN THE HIGH-SPEED TAKEOFF RUNS, AND WITH NORMAL INDICATIONS, HE DECIDED TO CONTINUE WITH A
FLIGHT ON THE THIRD ATTEMPT.
AFTER REACHING ABOUT 50 TO 100 FT AGL, THE ENGINE MOMENTARILY LOST POWER, FOLLOWED A SHORT TIME
LATER BY A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER. HE PERFORMED A FORCED LANDING DIRECTLY AHEAD, DURING WHICH
THE LEFT WING AND FORWARD FUSELAGE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AFTER STRIKING A PARKED
VEHICLE. ARRIVED AT CPT ON SEPTEMBER 21, 2024, AND VISUALLY INSPECTED AIRCRAFT IN A HANGAR. A VISUAL INSPECTION VIA THE RIGHT-WING FILL CAP REVEALED NO FUEL. THE LEFT-WING TANK WAS BREACHED DURING THE FORCED LANDING, AND NO FUEL WAS OBSERVED. THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR INSPECTED WITH A CERTIFICATED A&P, FAA NOT AVAILABLE, AND OBSERVED MOSTLY WATER AT THE CARBURETOR FUEL STRAINER. UNABLE TO DETERMINE TOTAL FUEL AT TIME OF ACCIDENT DUE TO LEFT WING TANK BREACH.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N733ZN · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.