OpenAirDocs.org

20071117827099A

Accident · Substantial damage
Open the Markdown

FAA accident report · Cessna 172N · Atwater, CA · November 17, 2007

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
November 17, 2007 · 14:30 local
Place
Atwater, CA
Airport
Castle
Phase of flight
Touch And Go Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator
YMOS
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N3318E
NTSB investigation
NTSBSEA08CA030
Reported as
Cessna 172N
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Student
Pilot’s flight hours
22 total22 in this make and model10 in the last 90 days
N3318ERegistered now · Cessna 172NS/N 17271502 · Built 1978Airframe modelCessna 172NEngine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

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) On 11/17/2007 the student pilot privacy data omitted was conducting his first solo flight at Castle Airport (mer) in Atwater, CA when the accident occurred. The pilot was performing his second touch-and-go maneuver and landed on the centerline on runway 31 at approximately 65 knots when he lost directional control of the aircraft and began veering to the left. The pilot attempted to bring the aircraft to the right by applying right rudder, but with no success, and the aircraft departed the runway at about 1500' from the threshold. Shortly thereafter, the right main landing gear tire went directly over (and destroyed) a runway light on the paved shoulder. Continuing in the forward and left direction, the aircraft impacted the 10,000'/2,000 foot distance remaining sign with the right wing strut. The aircraft then made a dramatic left turn and departed the 75' paved shoulder of the runway and continued in the northwesterly, then in a north and east direction, while twice crossing a drainage swale at 250' from the pavement (trying to return to the runway). The right main landing gear collapsed and the aircraft came to rest with the nose pointed at the runway. The pilot was treated for minor neck and back pains.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON 11/17/2007 THE STUDENT PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS CONDUCTING HIS FIRST SOLO FLIGHT AT CASTLE AIRPORT (MER) IN ATWATER, CA WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE PILOT WAS PERFORMING HIS SECOND TOUCH-AND-GO MANEUVER AND LANDED ON THE CENTERLINE ON RUNWAY 31 AT APPROXIMATELY 65 KNOTS WHEN HE LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND BEGAN VEERING TO THE LEFT. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO BRING THE AIRCRAFT TO THE RIGHT BY APPLYING RIGHT RUDDER, BUT WITH NO SUCCESS, AND THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE RUNWAY AT ABOUT 1500' FROM THE THRESHOLD. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR TIRE WENT DIRECTLY OVER (AND DESTROYED) A RUNWAY LIGHT ON THE PAVED SHOULDER. CONTINUING IN THE FORWARD AND LEFT DIRECTION, THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE 10,000'/2,000 FOOT DISTANCE REMAINING SIGN WITH THE RIGHT WING STRUT. THE AIRCRAFT THEN MADE A DRAMATIC LEFT TURN AND DEPARTED THE 75' PAVED SHOULDER OF THE RUNWAY AND CONTINUED IN THE NORTHWESTERLY, THEN IN A NORTH AND EAST DIRECTION, WHILE TWICE CROSSING A DRAINAGE SWALE AT 250' FROM THE PAVEMENT (TRYING TO RETURN TO THE RUNWAY). THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST WITH THE NOSE POINTED AT THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT WAS TREATED FOR MINOR NECK AND BACK PAINS.

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 SEA08CA030Accident · Minor injuriesData collectionFinal reportAtwater, CAThe failure of the student pilot to maintain directional control during the landing roll. Factors contributing to the accident included the sign and the ditch.Nov 17, 2007 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N3318E · 2

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 20120108000749ITaxi · Hawthorne, CAAirman landed after hours, tower was closed. During taxi to parking, aircraft landing light began turning on and off. Airman reached down to work landing switch, and during this distraction, ran over taxi lights.Jan 8, 2012 · Substantial damageAccident 19911003044599ATo Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct) · Palo Alto, CADrifted nose high off runway on takeoff. Stall mushed. Struck trees. Rudder trim 50 percent off neutral.Oct 3, 1991 · Substantial damage