N74C

On July 2, 2024, about 1200 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N74C, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near San Diego, California. The pilot sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The pilot reported that he completed his preflight inspection of the airplane, started the airplane and taxied to the run-up area for runway 28R at the Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport (MYF), San Diego, California. After completing the pre-takeoff engine run-up and checklist, he taxied to and departed runway 28R, with the intent to depart the area from the downwind leg of the airport traffic pattern. During the right turn from crosswind to the downwind leg, , about 1,000 ft above ground level, he heard a loud “pop” and noticed brown smoke emanating from the engine compartment. The airplane began shaking and subsequently the engine lost power. After several attempts to contact the tower controller, the pilot declared an emergency and the tower controller cleared the airplane to land runway 10L.

The pilot stated that he performed the engine failure checklist and landed on runway 10L. The airplane subsequently overran the departure end of the runway and nosed over. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed damage to the engine mount and both wings. The recorded weather at MYF about 7 minutes before the accident showed that the wind was 240° at 6 knots. The airplane has been transported to a secure facility for further investigation.