Premium research interface

The modern interface for aviation safety intelligence.

Search investigations, review source evidence, monitor watched reports, and trace long-term patterns from one calm, data-first workspace.

63k+
Reports indexed
1940-2026
Coverage
Recent
Last data refresh
Featured Report

Loading…

Loading featured report…

Loading…
Open Report

Safety trends by operating rule

Track fatal and non-fatal accident patterns across Part 91, Part 135, and Part 121 operations.

Loading trend charts…

Browse the aviation graph

Move quickly by aircraft, airport, operator, and time with indexes built for research, not wandering.

Last Data Update

By Decade

By Month

Aircraft Manufacturer

More manufacturers

Airports

More airports

Operators

More operators

About

Aviation safety reports, made easier to study

NTSB Reports is an independent research and search tool for public aviation accident and incident records. It brings NTSB aviation reports, structured fields, docket files, extracted figures, photos, videos, and update history into one searchable interface.

The goal is practical safety education: make it faster to find relevant investigations, compare similar events, review factual records, and understand the evidence behind probable-cause and preliminary reports.

The investigative work and source records belong to the National Transportation Safety Board and the published investigation record. This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NTSB.

FAQs

NTSB Report

June 21, 2019 · Cessna 172 M · N64460

Fullerton, CA

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
June 21, 2019
Injury Outcomes
No injuries (2 uninjured)
Location
Fullerton, CA
Aircraft
Cessna 172 M (1974)
Tail Number
N64460
Injuries
None
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
NTSB Number
WPR19LA176

Shortly after takeoff during a practice go-around, the engine lost partial power. With limited time to troubleshoot, the flight instructor maneuvered the airplane for an off-airport landing, and the airplane sustained substantial damage after impacting a street. Postaccident examination revealed that the aft section of the carburetor heat butterfly valve seal had detached and partially blocked the air inlet of the carburetor venturi. The obstruction reduced the amount of air available for combustion, resulting in a rich fuel-to-air mixture, and partial loss of power. The valve seal was composed of a fiber-reinforced rubberized material that degraded and became brittle over the 45-year life of the airplane. The mechanic who performed the last inspection stated that he confirmed the operation and condition of the butterfly valve by observing it through both the airbox assembly forward inlet and the heated air inlet on the rear right side of the unit. He stated that the aft section of the seal is hard to view due to the way it folds behind the butterfly valve and that the only way to clearly see it is through the heated air inlet, which was small.

NTSB Probable Cause

Partial loss of engine power during takeoff due to an age-degraded carburetor heat valve seal, which detached and partially blocked the carburetor air inlet. Contributing to the accident was an inadequate maintenance inspection.

Full Narrative

On June 20, 2019, at 1716 Pacific daylight time a Cessna 172M, N64460, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Fullerton Municipal Airport (FUL), Fullerton, California. The flight instructor and pilot receiving instruction were not injured. The airplane was operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a local instructional flight. The flight instructor reported that he planned to perform a flight review of the pilot receiving instruction and remain within the traffic pattern. He confirmed that both fuel tanks were full prior to departure and that the engine contained over 5 quarts of oil. The preflight checks and the engine runup did not reveal any anomalies. After completing one circuit in the traffic pattern, they performed a practice go-around. During the initial takeoff climb of the maneuver, the engine began to lose partial power. The flight instructor took the airplane's controls and applied carburetor heat. The engine responded for a few seconds, and then power was lost again. With minimal climb performance available, and limited time to perform trouble shooting steps, the instructor decided to land the airplane on a road adjacent to the airport. The airplane sustained damage to the right wing and forward fuselage during the off-airport landing. The airplane was equipped with an airbox assembly mounted to the carburetor venturi inlet on the underside of the engine. Inlet air passed through a filter on the front of the airbox and was directed up into the carburetor venturi by a butterfly valve. The system was designed such that when the pilot pulled the carburetor heat control (ON), the butterfly valve rotated about 90°, and redirected heated air from an exhaust shroud into the carburetor venturi through the back of the airbox. The butterfly valve was composed of two metal plates that sandwiched a flexible fiber-reinforced rubberized seal. Examination of the airbox assembly revealed that the aft section of the carburetor heat butterfly valve seal had broken away from the valve, and partially obstructed the air inlet of the carburetor venturi (See figures 1 and 2). The section was about 4 1/2 inches long and 3/8-inch-wide. It was brittle and exhibited four holes that matched the location of rivets on the lower side of the airbox (See figure 3). Black sooting was also observed on the inner surfaces of the exhaust pipe and the electrodes of all spark plugs (See figure 4). Figure 1 – Carburetor Heat Valve Seal Fragment Obstructing Carburetor Inlet Venturi Figure 2 – Carburetor Heat Valve in the ON Position (Area of Missing Seal Highlighted) Figure 3 – Carburetor Heat Valve Seal Fragment Figure 4 – Top Spark Plugs According to maintenance logbooks, the last inspection was an annual inspection completed 73.5 flight hours before the accident on May 16, 2019, at a total airframe time of 3,052.5 hours. The Cessna 172 service manual recommended that the induction airbox, air valves, doors and controls be inspected at 100-hour intervals. The mechanic who performed the last inspection stated that he confirmed the operation and condition of the butterfly valve by observing it through both the airbox assembly forward inlet and the heated air inlet on the rear right side of the unit. He stated that the aft section of the seal is hard to view due to the way it folds behind the butterfly valve and that the only way to clearly see it is through the heated air inlet, which was small. The only documented maintenance performed on the airbox assembly since the airplane’s manufacture in 1974 was the replacement of the airbox induction filter shroud on June 13, 2017. Review of the Federal Aviation Administration's Service Difficulty Report (SDR) database revealed three similar occurrences involving carburetor-equipped Cessna airplanes. Two occurred in 1977/78 N model 172's and one in a 1974 M model. The total time in service of the affected components was 3,706, 4,925, and 7,993 hours respectively.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time17:16 PDT
Nearest AirportFullerton Muni (1nm WSW)
Runway24
Runway Length3121 ft
Runway Width75 ft
Flight Plan FiledNone
Flight Plan ActivatedNo
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftCessna 172 M
Tail NumberN64460
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageSubstantial
Operating RulePart 91
Engines1
Engine TypeReciprocating
Engine DetailsLycoming · O-320 SERIES · Reciprocating · 150
Seats4

People & Injuries

Injury SummaryNo injuries (2 uninjured)
Fatal0
Serious0
Minor0
Uninjured2
Total2
Crew 1Age 35 · First Class · None
Crew 2Age 33 · Third Class · None

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
Wind150° @ 8 kt
Visibility10 sm
CeilingOvercast 3000 ft
Temperature / Dew Point70 F / 55
Altimeter29.90 inHg
Observation Time00:00
Weather SourcePILO

Appendix: Source Data