IAD96LA069

The newly licensed private pilot stated that he flew over the uncontrolled airport and did not notice any appreciable wind. He then decided to land to the northeast on runway 4. The pilot stated that he landed on the center of the runway, but the airplane began to drift to the left. He knew the airplane was drifting to the left and wanted to apply right rudder but actually applied left rudder and possibly some brake by mistake. No weather was recorded at the airport, but a large commercial airport to the northeast reported winds from 300 magnetic at 14 knots at the time of the accident.

On April 27, 1996, at 1530 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172L, N7546G, ran off the runway during the landing roll at Culpeper County Airport, in Culpeper, Virginia. The cross-country flight had originated from Maury County/Mount Pleasant Airport in Columbia, Tennessee. The private pilot and three passengers were uninjured, but the airplane sustained substantial damage. No flight plan had been filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.

When interviewed after the accident, the newly licensed private pilot stated that the flight went well for his first cross country trip with his wife and children onboard. He stated that when he over flew the airport he did not noticed any appreciable wind, either from the windsock or surrounding terrain. He stated that he thought that the winds were calm, so therefore decided to land to the north on runway 04. The pilot stated that he landed on the center of the 75 foot wide runway and the airplane started to drift to the left. He stated that when the airplane began to drift to the left, he thought to himself to apply right rudder but, actually apply left rudder and possibly left brake. The pilot stated that the airplane was off the runway before he knew it. The FAA report stated that approximately 1000 feet from the landing end of the runway, two skid marks veer left off the runway. It further states that from where the airplane came to rest and the position of the skid marks on the runway, it appeared that the skid marks were made by the right main landing gear and the nose landing gear tires. The airplane departed the runway to the left and entered the grassy downhill area with all three tires on the ground. The airplane then struck a ditch, which destroyed the nose landing gear and the left main landing gear. The airplane continued approximately 10 yards and then the right wing tip struck the ground, slid another 15 yards and then came to a stop.

The private pilot had obtained his private pilot's license four days prior to the accident. He had a total of 59 flight hours of which six were in this make and model. Approximately half of the pilot's flight time in this make and model airplane were done on the day of the accident.

There are no weather reporting facilities on Culpeper County Airport. Dulles International Airport which is approximately 32 miles to the northeast recorded weather at 1951 Zulu as: clear skies and 25 miles visibility; temperature-60 degrees Fahrenheit; dewpoint-30 degrees Fahrenheit; winds- from 300 degrees magnetic at 14 knots; altimeter-30.03 inches of Mercury.