- Date
- September 3, 2000, 00:00 local (07:00 UTC)
- Place
- Auburn, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Unknown
- Aircraft
- N531PCCessna 172P
- Weather
- Not reported
- Status
- Completed · report May 18, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 51330
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Damage to aircraft under unknown circumstances.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The owner/operator of the rental aircraft reported that during a routine maintenance inspection, the structure of the aircraft was found damaged. The operator does not know when or by which pilot damaged the aircraft.
Factual narrative
On or about September 3, 2000, at an unknown time, a Cessna 172P, N531PC, registered to and operated by Auburn Flight Service, was substantially damaged at an unknown location, and by an unknown pilot. The Chief Flight Instructor from the operator reported that the aircraft is used for rental purposes and has flown 99 hours since the last maintenance inspection dated July 25, 2000. On about September 4 or 5, 2000, a pilot reported that during the pre-flight inspection, he noted wrinkles in the skin on a wing. A mechanic looked at the aircraft and reported that it was okay for flight. On September 7, 2000, the aircraft went in for the scheduled 100-hour inspection.
During the maintenance inspection, maintenance personnel reported that three ribs in the left wing were buckled, the spar was damaged, and the upper and lower skin sections were buckled and oil canned. The cabin top assembly skin was buckled and wrinkled. The horizontal stabilizer forward spar and reinforcement were severely buckled and cracked in the center section.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N531PC
- Reported as
- Cessna 172P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17274698
- Airframe hours
- 2,461
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2J, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Auburn Flight Service Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 25, 2000 · 99 hours before
- Flight plan
- Unknown
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Medical
- Unknown, Unknown
Weather
- Conditions
- Not reported
Other investigations on N531PC · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.