Cessna 172 N734DX

Summary

On 6 May 2019 at about 20:10 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N734DX, operated by Citabria Inc, was involved in an accident near Auburn, California, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 May 2019 at 20:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Auburn, California, United States

Nearest airport

Auburn Muni (AUN)

Coordinates

38.9547, -121.0817

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N734DX

Category

Airplane

Year built

1977

Engines

1

Operator

Citabria Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Auburn → Auburn

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA19CA247

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's improper retraction of the flaps during a go-around and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. 

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The solo student pilot reported that he simulated a power-off emergency landing with a 180º turn to the runway and then trimmed the elevator "fully nose up" and added full flaps. Before touchdown, the airplane drifted right of centerline, and he had "difficulty correcting and maintaining control" of the airplane, so he initiated a go-around. The student added that, subsequently, he "retracted [the] flaps entirely," and the airplane "fell [about 10 ft] to the ground," the nosewheel impacted terrain, and the airplane then nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and empennage. The student reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.