Cessna 172G accident near Lakeport, California, May 16, 2024
On May 16, 2024 at about 4:00 pm local time, a 1966 Cessna 172G, registered N4448L, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Lakeport, California (Lampson Fld airport). 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 pilot’s inadequate use of carburetor heat, which resulted in a total loss of engine power shortly after takeoff due to fuel starvation as a result of carburetor ice.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 16, 2024 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Lakeport, California · Lampson Fld · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172G, built 1966 · all 172Gs on the register
- Registration
- N4448L · registry record · serial 17254541
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was performing pattern work at the airport. After three takeoffs and landings, he taxied back to the hangar and then decided to complete another orbit in the pattern. The pilot taxied back to the run-up area and performed a run-up, which included checking the magnetos and activating the carburetor heat, both of which produced the required revolutions per minute (rpm) drop. He taxied onto the runway, added power, and as the airplane took off and began to climb, the engine lost all power. Due to the low altitude, the pilot decided to make a forced landing to an open field. During the landing sequence, the empennage was substantially damaged when it impacted a barbed wire fence and separated from the fuselage. Weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to the formation of serious carburetor icing at cruise power. Carburetor ice likely formed during the extended taxi back to the pilot’s hangar and then to the run-up area before takeoff. A postaccident examination of the airplane and engine, including an engine test run at idle speed, revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures 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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Fuel starvation during initial climb defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Effect on equipment
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Power plant › Air intake › Incorrect use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 309 hours in all; 172 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,026.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 9, 2024; 1,992.6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 3,600 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 700 ft; clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 8:56 am from KUKI, 16 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KUKI 161556Z AUTO 13005KT 10SM OVC007 13/10 A2995 RMK AO2 SLP134 T01330100
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on April 22, 2026. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Saib CE-09-35 Carburetor Icing Prevention | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Engine Examination | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.