What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Solo cross country flight. Lost directional control landing. Veered off runway into runway sign.(.4) on July 6, 1998, at 1130 central daylight time, a Cessna 172N airplane, N5103D, was substantially damaged when it impacted a runway identification sign following a loss of control during landing at the Yoakum Municipal Airport in Yoakum, Texas. The student pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The airplane was registered to ab aviation of tomball, Texas, and operated by national aviation services of spring, Texas. No flight plan was filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the title 14 CFR part 91 solo cross country instructional flight. The airplane departed from david wayne hooks memorial airport, houston, Texas. The pilot reported that as the airplane touched down on runway 13, "a right crosswind pushed the airplane to the left." As he attempted "to recenter, the left wheel left the runway and the airplane entered into a right skid." The airplane "veered" off the right side of the runway, impacted a runway identification sign and "came to rest 15 ft. to the right of the runway." According to the pilot, the wind was from 220 degrees at 15 knots. The FAA inspector who examined the airplane reported that the nose landing gear was folded rearward, the firewall was wrinkled, and the left wing strut to fuselage attach point was damaged. At 1153, the automated surface observing station (ASOS) at the victoria regional airport, located 30 nautical miles south-southeast of the accident site, recorded winds from 220 degrees at 8 knots. (-23) landed with right crosswind, left main gear touched first. Pilot corrected to wings level without aligning fuselage with runway. Aircraft veered off right side of runway hitting taxiway marker. Aircraft sustained damage to nose gear and firewall.
As the FAA filed it
SOLO CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT. LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL LANDING. VEERED OFF RUNWAY INTO RUNWAY SIGN.(.4) ON JULY 6, 1998, AT 1130 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 172N AIRPLANE, N5103D, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT IMPACTED A RUNWAY IDENTIFICATION SIGN FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL DURING LANDING AT THE YOAKUM MUNICIPAL AIRPORT IN YOAKUM, TEXAS. THE STUDENT PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO AB AVIATION OF TOMBALL, TEXAS, AND OPERATED BY NATIONAL AVIATION SERVICES OF SPRING, TEXAS. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED AND VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 SOLO CROSS COUNTRY INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED FROM DAVID WAYNE HOOKS MEMORIAL AIRPORT, HOUSTON, TEXAS. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AS THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN ON RUNWAY 13, "A RIGHT CROSSWIND PUSHED THE AIRPLANE TO THE LEFT." AS HE ATTEMPTED "TO RECENTER, THE LEFT WHEEL LEFT THE RUNWAY AND THE AIRPLANE ENTERED INTO A RIGHT SKID." THE AIRPLANE "VEERED" OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, IMPACTED A RUNWAY IDENTIFICATION SIGN AND "CAME TO REST 15 FT. TO THE RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY." ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE WIND WAS FROM 220 DEGREES AT 15 KNOTS. THE FAA INSPECTOR WHO EXAMINED THE AIRPLANE REPORTED THAT THE NOSE LANDING GEAR WAS FOLDED REARWARD, THE FIREWALL WAS WRINKLED, AND THE LEFT WING STRUT TO FUSELAGE ATTACH POINT WAS DAMAGED. AT 1153, THE AUTOMATED SURFACE OBSERVING STATION (ASOS) AT THE VICTORIA REGIONAL AIRPORT, LOCATED 30 NAUTICAL MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, RECORDED WINDS FROM 220 DEGREES AT 8 KNOTS. (-23) LANDED WITH RIGHT CROSSWIND, LEFT MAIN GEAR TOUCHED FIRST. PILOT CORRECTED TO WINGS LEVEL WITHOUT ALIGNING FUSELAGE WITH RUNWAY. AIRCRAFT VEERED OFF RIGHT SIDE OF RUNWAY HITTING TAXIWAY MARKER. AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO NOSE GEAR AND FIREWALL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.