Cessna 172N accident near Auburn, California, August 18, 1984
On August 18, 1984 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N733XQ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Auburn, California. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 18, 1984 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Auburn, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N733XQ · no longer on the register · serial 172268634
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT MADE A FORCED LANDING ON AN ABANDONED AIRSTRIP AFTER THE ENGINE QUIT DURING A X-COUNTRY. THE SOLO STUDENT PLT SAID HE ENCOUNTERED HEAD WINDS AND LOWER THAN EXPECTED GROUND SPEEDS EVEN WITH INCREASED POWER. HE SAID THAT THE FUEL GAGES INDICATED 1/8 FULL WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT. THE ACFT RECOVERY TEAM SAID THAT THE ACFT HAD A TOTAL OF ABOUT 1 CUP OF FUEL ABOARD AND THERE WERE NO LEAKS OR SIGNS OF SPILLAGE. THE PLT STATED THE ACFT WAS FULL AT DEPARTURE AND HE HAD FLOWN ABOUT 4 HOURS BEFORE THE ENGINE QUIT.
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: student
- Flight time: 104 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 26 as pilot in command; 127 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,438 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection; 73 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SNS Salinas CA at 5:10 pm
- Destination: O17 Grass Valley CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.