# NTSB GAA15CA018: Cessna 172S, N2104H, Camarillo, CA, March 23, 2015

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report
- Date: March 23, 2015, 13:50 local (20:50 UTC)
- Place: Camarillo, CA
- Coordinates: 34.209445, -119.075553 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.2094&lon=-119.0756&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Unknown](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/990) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Unknown: Unknown or undetermined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 1 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report June 1, 2015
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office: General Aviation Accidents
- Parties: FAA Van Nuys FSDO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 90926
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=GAA15CA018
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/90926/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=90926
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA15CA018

## Probable cause

The pilot involved and the phase of flight when the damage occurred were not determined.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Not determined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000): Not determined › Not determined · Unknown/Not determined (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172S, 25 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md?model=2072439), [All aircraft, 2,247 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Unknown: Unknown or undetermined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 172S, 12 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000/sequence.md?model=2072439), [All aircraft, 1,703 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000/sequence.md)

## Analysis

A routine maintenance inspection was conducted on the airplane and the mechanic noticed substantial damage. Buckling was present in the lower firewall and the floor under the rudder pedals, consistent with a hard landing. No hard landings were reported to the operator. The circumstances, crew, and timeline surrounding the damage is unknown. It is unknown if there were any pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.

## Factual narrative

A routine maintenance inspection was conducted on the airplane and the mechanic noticed substantial damage. Buckling was present in the lower firewall and the floor under the rudder pedals, consistent with a hard landing. No hard landings were reported to the operator. The circumstances, crew, and timeline surrounding the damage is unknown. It is unknown if there were any pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N2104H](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N2104H), registered now, S/N 172S10432, built 2007 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172S (S)
- Registry model: [Cessna 172S](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172s) (registry code 2072439) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Lycoming IO-360-L2A](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-360-l2a) (registry code 41597, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 172S10432
- Year built: 2007
- Airframe hours: 4009.3
- Engines: Lycoming IO-360-L2A 180 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: 100 hour, January 29, 2015, 97 hours before
- Equipment: Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display

## Weather

- Conditions: Not reported

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20150323005329A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20150323005329A), Mar 23, 2015: Cessna 172S, Camarillo, CA, Substantial damage. 03/24/2015 Received e-mail from sarah bartush, channel islands aviation (cia) flight school manager, dated 03/23/2015 @5:01PM. The e-mail message is initial…

## Docket (5 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 20, 2015, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=90926. 7.5 MB in all.

- Record of Conversation - Flight School Manager (item 1, .PDF, 72 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40426729&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Record%20of%20Conversation%20-%20Flight%20School%20Manager-Master.PDF
- Photo 1 – Lower Firewall (photo courtesy of the operator) (item 2, .PDF, 2.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40426730&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%201%20%E2%80%93%20Lower%20Firewall%20(photo%20courtesy%20of%20the%20operator)-Master.PDF
- Photo 2 – Lower Firewall (photo courtesy of the operator) (item 3, .PDF, 1.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40426731&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%202%20%E2%80%93%20Lower%20Firewall%20(photo%20courtesy%20of%20the%20operator)-Master.PDF
- Photo 3 – Left Floor Board (photo courtesy of the operator) (item 4, .PDF, 1.9 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40426732&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%203%20%E2%80%93%20Left%20Floor%20Board%20(photo%20courtesy%20of%20the%20operator)-Master.PDF
- Photo 4 – Right Floor Board (photo courtesy of the operator) (item 5, .PDF, 1.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40426733&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%204%20%E2%80%93%20Right%20Floor%20Board%20(photo%20courtesy%20of%20the%20operator)-Master.PDF

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.

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