Cessna 172N accident near Long Beach, California, September 9, 2013
On September 9, 2013 at about 8:28 pm local time, a 1977 Cessna 172N, registered N42EP, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Long Beach, California (Long Beach /Daugherty Field/). It was a personal 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 total loss of engine power during initial climb due to debris within the carburetor mixture metering sleeve.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 9, 2013 · about 8:28 pm local time
- Place
- Long Beach, California · Long Beach /Daugherty Field/ · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N, built 1977 · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N42EP · no longer on the register · serial 17269777
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, following a touch-and-go landing, he began a normal climb. Shortly after, the engine "sputtered" and lost power. The pilot initiated a forced landing to the remaining runway. Subsequently, the airplane landed hard and then came to rest upright. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed pliable debris, similar to silicone, within the carburetor mixture metering sleeve, which would have restricted the fuel flow and produced a lean fuel-air mixture and resulted in the loss of engine power. The source of the debris could not be determined. No additional evidence of a mechanical malfunction or failure was found that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during initial climb defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during initial climb
- Hard landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel control/carburetor › Damaged/degraded
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,432 hours in all; 3,250 in this make and model; 197 in the last 90 days; 67 in the last 30 days; 3,326 as pilot in command; 2,356 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,486 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 5, 2012; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CL27 El Monte CA at 11:30 am
- Destination: CL27 El Monte CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25L, 5,421 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.78 inHg
- Observation at 8:30 pm from KLGB
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.