Cessna 172N accident near Desert Center, California, May 16, 2009
On May 16, 2009 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N738LF, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Desert Center, California (Iron Mountain Pumping Plant airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
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.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 16, 2009 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Desert Center, California · Iron Mountain Pumping Plant · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N738LF · no longer on the register · serial 17270056
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
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.
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
What happened, in order
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during enroute (cruise)
- Loss of engine power (partial) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during maneuvering
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip engine power section › Malfunction
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › (general) › Incorrect use/operation
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 163 hours in all
- Last flight review: March 11, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,752 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 31, 2009; 79 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SEE El Cajon CA at 9:15 pm
- Destination: SEE El Cajon CA
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 100°F (38°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.70 inHg
- Observation at 11:52 pm from BLH, 37 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.