- Date
- April 29, 2001, 15:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Pleasanton, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N64776Cessna 172P
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 30, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20010429008599A
- Case key
- 52312
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
the student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing flare/touchdown. Contributory factors were the gusty wind and the student pilot's lack of total flight experience.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The student pilot flew a normal traffic pattern for runway 16. The Unicom reported that the winds were variable at 4 knots; and while on final approach, the pilot verified that there was no crosswind by looking at the windsock. Upon touchdown, a "crosswind gust from 070 degrees began pushing [the] airplane to the right." Subsequently, the airplane exited the runway and came to rest in a ditch. The pilot had accumulated 39.2 flight hours and this was his first solo flight.
Factual narrative
On April 29, 2001, at 1500 central daylight time, a Cessna 172P airplane, N64776, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain after an in flight loss of control while landing at the Pleasanton Municipal Airport, Pleasanton, Texas. The airplane was registered to Christiansen Aviation Inc., of Wilmington, Delaware, and operated by Stinson Air Center, of San Antonio, Texas. The student pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional solo flight. The local flight originated from the Stinson Municipal Airport, San Antonio, Texas, at 1410.
The student pilot reported that he departed from the Stinson Municipal Airport and flew to the Pleasanton Municipal Airport. According to the pilot, the Pleasanton Unicom reported wind variable at 4 knots. He flew a normal traffic pattern for runway 16, and on final approach, the airplane was at an airspeed of 65 knots and aligned with the runway centerline. Prior to landing, the pilot verified that the wind was straight down the runway by looking at the windsock. Upon touchdown, a "crosswind gust from 070 degrees began pushing [the] airplane to the right." Subsequently, the airplane exited the runway and impacted a ditch that was 15-20 feet wide and 5 feet deep. The left wing spar was damaged during the impact.
The pilot had accumulated 39.2 flight hours, all of which were in the accident make and model airplane. According to the operator, this was the student's first solo flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N64776
- Reported as
- Cessna 172P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17275621
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-320-D2J, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Stinson Air Center, doing business as N/A
- Registered owner
- Christiansen Aviation, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 5, 2001
- Departed
- SSF · San Antonio, TX
- Destination
- PEZ · Pleasanton, TX
- Airport
- PEZ · Pleasanton Municipal, runway 16, 3,201 × 50 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 26
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 39 total · 39 in this make and model · 2 as pilot in command · 28 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.