# Incident 20240209001589I: Cessna 172N, Groveland, CA, February 9, 2024

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 9, 2024, 18:20 local time
- Place: Groveland, CA
- Airport: Pine Mountain Lake
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 37.8615° N, 120.1782° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at Pine Mountain Lake Airport (E45), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.8615&lon=-120.1782&mi=10
- Aircraft: N737LU, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N737LU-2025-01-15) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 172N (registry code 2072434, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172n) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172N
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 330 total, 290 in this make and model, 2 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240209001589I

## Narrative

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

ON FEBRUARY 9, 2024, THE PILOT OF AN AIRCRAFT DEPARTED PINE MOUNTAIN LAKE AIRPORT (E45) AT NIGHT. DURING THE CLIMB OUT, THE PILOT FELT THAT DARK CLOUDS WERE APPROACHING QUICKLY, SO HE MADE THE DECISION TO TURN BACK TO LAND BACK AT THE AIRPORT HE HAD JUST DEPARTED. HAVING FEAR OF GETTING INTO BAD WEATHER, AND THE MOUNTAINS IN THE AREA, HE DECIDED TO REMAIN HIGH IN THE PATTERN AND ON HIS FINAL APPROACH TO LANDING. HIS FINAL APPROACH TO LANDING WAS HIGH AND FAST, CAUSING THE LANDING IMPACT TO BE HARD ENOUGH TO CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE NOSE GEAR, AND OVERTURN THE AIRCRAFT, WHERE THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP UPSIDE DOWN. THE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER WERE ABLE TO SAFELY EXIT THE AIRCRAFT, WITH NO INJURIES REPORTED.

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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