Cessna 172 accident near Lake Tahoe, California, July 7, 2020
On July 7, 2020 at about 10:23 pm local time, a 1979 Cessna 172, registered N6328D, was destroyed in an accident during initial climb near Lake Tahoe, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The partial loss of engine power due to carbon buildup in the No. 4 cylinder resulting from the pilot’s inadequate mixture-leaning procedures.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 7, 2020 · about 10:23 pm local time
- Place
- Lake Tahoe, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 N, built 1979 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N6328D · no longer on the register · serial 17272718
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Shortly after takeoff, a witness observed the airplane flying about 200 ft above ground level and heard the engine power fluctuating. The left wingtip then struck a tree and the airplane aggressively yawed while continuing to fly low. The airplane impacted the ground about 2.5 nautical miles southwest of the departure airport. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed low compression on cylinder Nos. 3 and 4. Further examination of the No. 4 cylinder revealed significant carbon buildup on the piston face and the top and bottom spark plugs. This buildup would likely have resulted in the No. 4 cylinder ignition system misfiring and a partial loss of engine power. The four-cylinder engine was overhauled about 4 months before the accident, during which four overhauled cylinders and eight new spark plugs were installed. Additionally, about 2 months (and about 26 hours) before the accident, all four cylinders were overhauled again due to high oil consumption. Carbon deposits can form when excessive heating occurs in the combustion chamber of the engine. While the high amount of carbon buildup is unusual for a cylinder with only 26 hours of operation since overhaul, the reason for the buildup was likely due to the pilot’s inadequate mixture-leaning procedures.
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 (partial) during initial climb defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Damaged/degraded
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › (general) › Incorrect use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 75 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,299 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TVL South Lake Tahoe NV
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 6 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from TVL, 2 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
9 documents, released by the NTSB on June 16, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Materials Laboratory Factual Report | PDF, 17 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Weather Study | PDF, 13 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Witness Statement (Hansen) | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Witness Statements | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Wreckage Examination | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Autopsy Memo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N6328D the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.