- Date
- February 10, 2024, 19:35 local (Feb 11, 2024, 03:35 UTC)
- Place
- Madera, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N737LUCessna 172N
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA
- Case key
- 193786
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
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported observing a dark layer of cloud just after takeoff and decided to avoid and return to the departure airport. When the airplane main landing gear contacted the ground, the pilot stated that the airplane veered to the left, exited the runway and nosed over before coming to rest. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N737LU
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17269508
- Airframe hours
- 11,130.5
- Engine
- Textron Lycoming O-320-H2A0, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Riya Aviation LLC
- Registered owner
- Riya Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 22, 2023 · 100 hours before
- Departed
- KTCY · Tracy, CA
- Destination
- E45 · Groveland, CA
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- E45 · Pine Mountain Lake, runway 27, 3,624 × 50 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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
- Age
- 65
- Injuries
- Unknown
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- BasicMed, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 8, 2022
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 330 total · 0 in this make and model · 133.6 as pilot in command · 2.2 in the last 90 days · 1.6 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 120° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.15 inHg
- Observed at
- KMAE, 5 nm away
- METAR
- KMAE 110153Z AUTO 12003KT 10SM CLR 10/04 A3015 RMK AO2 SLP211 T01000044
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 10, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.2 MB in all.