Cessna 172N accident near Lakeport, California, April 11, 2000
On April 11, 2000 at about 2:00 am local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N6104G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lakeport, California (Lampson Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's decision to continue with a high, steep, and fast approach, which resulted in a touchdown beyond the halfway point of the runway and the inability to stop on the remaining pavement, and, his delayed decision to initiate a landing abort. Also causal was the pilot's failure to retract the flaps to the go around/aborted landing position.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 11, 2000 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Lakeport, California · Lampson Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N6104G · no longer on the register · serial 17273567
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane collided with trees and terrain during an aborted landing attempt following a high, steep, and fast approach. The airplane touched down past the halfway point on the runway in a hard landing and bounced severely. The pilot added power to recover and made a smooth landing on the right side of the runway, and then reduced the power to idle and began aggressive braking to stop. As the airplane approached the departure end of the runway, the pilot increased power and pulled the airplane back into the air. The flaps were still full down at this point and the airplane would not climb. The pilot powered down and landed between trees directly ahead. Then the right wing tip hit hard and the airplane cartwheeled. The Pilot's Operating Handbook for the Cessna 172N states that flaps should be retracted to 20 degrees immediately upon commencing a balked landing (go around.) The airplane was approximately 27 pounds over certified maximum gross weight. The engine was test run in the airframe following recovery from the site. During the test it started immediately and ran smoothly, with normal magneto checks.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, foreign licence
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 740 hours in all; 5 in the last 90 days; 600 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,207 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection; 90 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Resort Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: 1O2 at 1:50 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 3,600 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 163°F (73°C), dew point 106°F (41°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:48 am from UKI, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.