# Accident 20240118000439A: Cessna 172L, Grass Valley, CA, January 18, 2024

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 18, 2024, 12:49 local time
- Place: Grass Valley, CA
- Airport: Nevada County
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Rollout
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 39.2241° N, 121.0025° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.2241&lon=-121.0025&mi=10
- Aircraft: N7250Q, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N7250Q) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 172L (registry code 2072432, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172l) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172L
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 1,987 total, 1,400 in this make and model, 13 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR24LA078](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR24LA078) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240118000439A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

THE PILOT REPORTED IN A WRITTEN STATEMENT THAT HE FLEW FROM THE MCCLELLAN AIRPORT TO THE GRASS VALLEY AIRPORT AND UPON LANDING ON THE SECOND ATTEMPT HE FOUND THAT THE LEFT BRAKE WOULD NOT FUNCTION AND HE HAD NO NOSEWHEEL STEERING. THE AIRCRAFT VEERED TO THE RIGHT DEPARTING THE RUNWAY PAVED SURFACE NEAR THE VISUAL APPROACH LIGHTS FOR THE RECIPROCAL RUNWAY.

PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE AIRCRAFT SHOW THAT IT CAME TO REST INVERTED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE EMBANKMENT ON THE NORTH SHOULDER OF THE RUNWAY.

GROUND SCARS LEFT BY THE AIRCRAFT'S LANDING GEAR INDICATE THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE RUNWAY PAVED SURFACE APPROXIMATELY 4050 FEET FROM THE LANDING RUNWAY 25 THRESHOLD.

FAA WAS REQUESTED TO EXAMINE THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT BY THE NTSB. EXAMINATION OF THE BRAKES REVEALED THAT LEFT AND RIGHT BOTH FUNCTIONED NORMALLY AND WOULD HAVE PROVIDED NORMAL OPERATION PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT SEQUENCE. EXAMINATION OF THE NOSE GEAR OLEO STRUT SHOWED NO OBSTRUCTION TO ROTATION OF THE NOSE GEAR AND THAT THE LEFT AND RIGHT STEERING RODS WERE ATTACHED WITH CONTINUITY TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT RUDDER PEDALS. DAMAGE TO THE TIPS OF THE PROPELLER INDICATE THE ENGINE WAS OPERATIONAL PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT SEQUENCE.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB WPR24LA078](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR24LA078), Jan 18, 2024: Cessna 172L (N7250Q), Grass Valley, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: Loss of control during the landing roll due to a malfunctioning brake for undetermined reasons.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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