Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Iron Mountain Pumping Plant Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Desert Center, California 92280
Saturday, May 16, 2009 16:30 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
In cruise flight, the airplane experienced a loss of power to the avionics. While focusing on that situation, the pilot reported a partial loss of engine power and the inability of the airplane to maintain altitude. The pilot elected to make a precautionary landing at a nearby airport. Believing he was in gliding distance of the airport, he shut down the engine. The approach was too high and the airplane overshot the runway. The pilot attempted a turn back to the runway; however, he had to make a sharper-than-normal turn due to wires in his immediate flight path. While performing the tighter turn, the airplane lost further altitude and the pilot had to make a forced landing adjacent to the runway on uneven terrain, coming to rest inverted. During a postaccident examination of the engine it was discovered that the number one cylinder's intake valve had deposits on the valve seat, preventing it from making a tight seal and resulting in the partial loss of engine power. No electrical problems could be identified during the examination.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A partial loss of engine power due to low compression from an obstructed intake valve. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to shut down the engine while in flight.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/16/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1630 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Desert Center |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 92280 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 340803N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1150708W |
| Event Location Airport | Iron Mountain Pumping Plant |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 72CL |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 890 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1652 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 105 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BLH |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 399 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 37 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 38 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 190 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.7 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 26350 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Comm Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 19 2009 6:09PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N738LF |
| NTSB Number | WPR09LA245 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 172N |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 17270056 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2300 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 2 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 2 |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 31 2009 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 79 |
| Airframe Hours | 9752 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | FLY CFA LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2065 N Marshall Ave |
| Aircraft Owner City | El Cajon |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 92020 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | California Flight Academy |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 2065 N Marshall Ave |
| Operator City | El Cajon |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 92020 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | SEE |
| Departure City | El Cajon |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1415 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | SEE |
| Destination City | El Cajon |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 19 2009 6:09PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |