# Accident 19990715009339A: Cessna 172K, Taft, CA, July 15, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: July 15, 1999, 18:00 local time - Place: Taft, CA - Airport: Taft-Kern County Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Go Round (Aborted VFR) - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 35.1609° N, 119.4294° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.1609&lon=-119.4294&mi=10 - Aircraft: N46451, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N46451-2000-04-07) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 172K (registry code 2072430, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172k) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 172K - Reported engine: LYC O320E2D - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Student - Pilot flight hours: 48 total, 43 in this make and model, 34 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX99LA252](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99LA252) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990715009339A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.4)ON JULY 15, 1999, AT 1800 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 172K, N46451, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH POWER LINES AND TREES DURING AN ABORTED LANDING AT TAFT, CALIFORNIA. THE INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91 BY KERN CHARTER, INC. THE STUDENT PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED FROM THE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT IN BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA, AT 1715. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT STATED HE COMPLETED BASIC AIR WORK MANEUVERS, THEN PROCEEDED TO TAFT TO PRACTICE LANDINGS. HE INDICATED THE NORMAL PROCEDURE AT TAFT WAS TO LAND ON RUNWAY 25 AND DEPART ON RUNWAY 07 DUE TO TERRAIN AND RUNWAY SLOPE CONSIDERATIONS. THE AIRPORT/FACILITY DIRECTORY, SOUTHWEST U.S., NOTES A 2.2 PERCENT UPHILL GRADE FOR RUNWAY 25. THE PILOT STATED THAT WHEN HE FIRST FLEW OVER THE AIRPORT HE OBSERVED THE WINDS WERE FROM 050 DEGREES AT 10 TO 12 KNOTS. HE MADE A GO-AROUND ON HIS FIRST ATTEMPTED LANDING. ON THE SECOND ATTEMPT HE LANDED ON RUNWAY 25 AND TOOK OFF ON RUNWAY 07. ON THE THIRD ATTEMPT, THE PILOT SAID HE LANDED WITH FULL FLAPS AND THE AIRPLANE BEGAN DRIFTING TO THE RIGHT AS IT SLOWED DOWN. AS HE WAS CORRECTING, HE FELT THE NOSE WHEEL "SKID/SHIMMY." HE WAS APPROXIMATELY HALFWAY DOWN THE RUNWAY AT 35 KNOTS WHEN THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. HE ADDED POWER, CLOSED THE CARBURETOR HEAT, AND ABORTED THE LANDING. HE ESTIMATED HE RE-ENTERED THE RUNWAY WITH APPROXIMATELY 150 YARDS OF PAVEMENT REMAINING. HE STATED HIS ROTATION SPEED WAS APPROXIMATELY 50 KNOTS AND 30 YARDS OF ASPHALT REMAINED. DURING THE TAKEOFF ATTEMPT, THE AIRPLANE CONTACTED A POWER LINE AND TREETOPS. THE PILOT SAID HE HAD THE FLAPS PARTIALLY UP BY THIS POINT, BUT WAS UNSURE OF THEIR EXACT POSITION. THE AIRPLANE HIT A SECOND SET OF POWER LINES AND THE LEFT WING STRUCK A POWER POLE. THE AIRPLANE THEN CROSSED A ROAD BEFORE IT CAME TO REST. THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION ACCIDENT COORDINATOR MEASURED GROUND TRACKS AND DETERMINED THE AIRPLANE VEERED APPROXIMATELY 80 FEET OFF THE RUNWAY. HE NOTED THE TRACKS LED BACK TO THE RUNWAY AND ESTIMATED LIFTOFF WAS 270 YARDS FROM THE AIRPORT BOUNDARY FENCE. HE ESTIMATED THE FIRST SET OF POWER LINES WAS LESS THAN 0.25-MILE FROM THE RUNWAY. (-23)THE STUDENT PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING A LANDING UPHILL INTO A ONE WAY AIRPO RT WITH A CROSSWIND/TAILWIND. AFTER LANDING THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED RUNWAY TO THE RIGHT OUT ON TO THE ADJACENT DIRT. AT ONE POINT HE WAS 60-80 OFF THE RUNWAY. WHEN HE RETURNED TO THE RUNWAY, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO 'GO AROUND/TOUCH AND GO' WITH FULL FLAPS DEPLOYED. AIRCRAFT STRUCK POWERLINES AND TREE 1/4 MILE FROM RWY. AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. PILOT AND SOLE OCCUPANT WAS UNINJURED. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB LAX99LA252](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99LA252), Jul 16, 1999: Cessna 172K (N46451), Taft, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's selection of the wrong runway in consideration of the wind conditions and his subsequent failure to maintain directional control. The pilot's decision to abort the landing attempt with… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.