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20090109002089A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna R172K · Palo Alto, CA · January 9, 2009

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
January 9, 2009 · 22:15 local
Place
Palo Alto, CA
Airport
Palo Alto Airport Of Santa Clara
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N758FN
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR09LA077
Reported as
Cessna R172K
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,417 total1,007 in this make and model8 in the last 90 days
N758FNRegistration cancelled Nov 10, 2010 · Cessna R172KS/N R1723062Airframe modelCessna R172K

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 January 9, 2009 at 2215 pacific standard time, a Cessna R172K, N758FN, made an emergency off field landing shortly following taking off from the Palo Alto municipal airport, Palo Alto California. The aircraft sustained substantial damage during the off field emerency landing. The pilot was the sole occupant aboard the aircraft and was not injured. The aircraft was owned by the pilot, and the flight was being operated as a visual flght rules (VFR) personal flight under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed and there was no flight plan filed for the local flight. The certificated pilot stated that shortly following his departure from the airport the aircraft's engine started to run rough and was losing power, his instruments were reading erratic and the aircraft was not responding properly. He felt that returning to the airport was not an option, and elected to land on a levy next to the dumbarton bridge. The surface of the levy was extremely rough, and the aircraft veered off and nosed over in an adjacent salt pond.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON JANUARY 9, 2009 AT 2215 PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA R172K, N758FN, MADE AN EMERGENCY OFF FIELD LANDING SHORTLY FOLLOWING TAKING OFF FROM THE PALO ALTO MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, PALO ALTO CALIFORNIA. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING THE OFF FIELD EMERENCY LANDING. THE PILOT WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT ABOARD THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS NOT INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OWNED BY THE PILOT, AND THE FLIGHT WAS BEING OPERATED AS A VISUAL FLGHT RULES (VFR) PERSONAL FLIGHT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91. NIGHT VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND THERE WAS NO FLIGHT PLAN FILED FOR THE LOCAL FLIGHT. THE CERTIFICATED PILOT STATED THAT SHORTLY FOLLOWING HIS DEPARTURE FROM THE AIRPORT THE AIRCRAFT'S ENGINE STARTED TO RUN ROUGH AND WAS LOSING POWER, HIS INSTRUMENTS WERE READING ERRATIC AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT RESPONDING PROPERLY. HE FELT THAT RETURNING TO THE AIRPORT WAS NOT AN OPTION, AND ELECTED TO LAND ON A LEVY NEXT TO THE DUMBARTON BRIDGE. THE SURFACE OF THE LEVY WAS EXTREMELY ROUGH, AND THE AIRCRAFT VEERED OFF AND NOSED OVER IN AN ADJACENT SALT POND.

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 WPR09LA077Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportFremont, CAThe partial loss of engine power during takeoff due to an oil pump/tachometer drive gear failure for undetermined reasons.Jan 10, 2009 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N758FN · 1

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

Accident 19841014058479ARoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Corning, CAPilot lost directional control of aircraft during landing roll.Oct 14, 1984 · Substantial damage