From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.
What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Student pilot on solo x-country flight from palo alto airport (pao) to atwater, CA (mer) and return to pao failed to reset the directional heading indicator prior to departing mer and ended up 110 miles southeast of course near lost hills CA. Pilot was concerned about low fuel tank indications and landed on a public highway, corcoran road, 7 miles north of state route 46. Aircraft damage under the right wing indicates that it hit an object similar to a mileage marker sign while taxiing down the highway. Student pilot was unaware of this damage as was the California highway patrol. Damage limited to the wing skin and a crease in the aileron.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) STUDENT PILOT ON SOLO X-COUNTRY FLIGHT FROM PALO ALTO AIRPORT (PAO) TO ATWATER, CA (MER) AND RETURN TO PAO FAILED TO RESET THE DIRECTIONAL HEADING INDICATOR PRIOR TO DEPARTING MER AND ENDED UP 110 MILES SOUTHEAST OF COURSE NEAR LOST HILLS CA. PILOT WAS CONCERNED ABOUT LOW FUEL TANK INDICATIONS AND LANDED ON A PUBLIC HIGHWAY, CORCORAN ROAD, 7 MILES NORTH OF STATE ROUTE 46. AIRCRAFT DAMAGE UNDER THE RIGHT WING INDICATES THAT IT HIT AN OBJECT SIMILAR TO A MILEAGE MARKER SIGN WHILE TAXIING DOWN THE HIGHWAY. STUDENT PILOT WAS UNAWARE OF THIS DAMAGE AS WAS THE CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL. DAMAGE LIMITED TO THE WING SKIN AND A CREASE IN THE AILERON.
Other reports on N8256E · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.