20050203002299A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 172M · Desert Center, CA · February 3, 2005

Date: February 3, 2005 · 14:55 local
Place: Desert Center, CA
Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N472RA
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX05LA084
Reported as: Cessna 172M
Reported engine: Lycoming O320*
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 675 total150 in this make and model

N472RARegistration cancelled Feb 20, 2008 · Cessna 172MS/N 17266910 · Built 1976 Airframe modelCessna 172M

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) Aircraft landed on a dry lake bed and flipped over. The aircraft departed bracket airport (poc), la verne, CA on a cross country instructional flight to ernest a. love field (prc), prescott, AZ. As the aircraft approached (2000 ft) Desert Center, CA, the instructor looked for a suitable spot to land on a dry lake bed. During the landing rollout, the aircraft flipped over after the tires sunk in a patch of soft dirt. Damage to the aircraft consisted of a bent prop, crushed engine cowl, and crushed wing leading edges. There was no post crash fire. The instructor and the student exited the aircraft with no injuries.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AIRCRAFT LANDED ON A DRY LAKE BED AND FLIPPED OVER. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED BRACKET AIRPORT (POC), LA VERNE, CA ON A CROSS COUNTRY INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT TO ERNEST A. LOVE FIELD (PRC), PRESCOTT, AZ. AS THE AIRCRAFT APPROACHED (2000 FT) DESERT CENTER, CA, THE INSTRUCTOR LOOKED FOR A SUITABLE SPOT TO LAND ON A DRY LAKE BED. DURING THE LANDING ROLLOUT, THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER AFTER THE TIRES SUNK IN A PATCH OF SOFT DIRT. DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT CONSISTED OF A BENT PROP, CRUSHED ENGINE COWL, AND CRUSHED WING LEADING EDGES. THERE WAS NO POST CRASH FIRE. THE INSTRUCTOR AND THE STUDENT EXITED THE AIRCRAFT WITH NO INJURIES.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB LAX05LA084Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportDesert Center, CAThe instructor's improper decision to land on the dry lakebed without knowing the condition of the landing surface. A factor in the accident was the soft sand surface of the lake bed.Feb 3, 2005 · Substantial damage