IAD96LA127

The pilot reported that during landing on a private airstrip the aircraft veered left despite corrective action. He saw a ditch in the path of the aircraft so he pulled on the control wheel and the aircraft traveled over the ditch and collided with an embankment. Examination of the accident site revealed the grass/dirt runway was 39.5 feet wide and cornfields were on both side of the 3,000-foot long runway with cornstalks alongside the runway. Further inspection revealed the aircraft landed left of the unmarked centerline of the runway. According to the aircraft owner's manual, the wingspan is about 36 feet wide.

On August 4, 1996, at 0945 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172, N12141, collided with terrain after departing the runway during the landing roll at a private strip in Midland, Ohio. The certificated private pilot, the sole occupant, reported no injuries, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, no flight plan was filed. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR 91. The flight originated from a private landing strip in Martinsville, Ohio, at approximately 0930 EDT.

The pilot reported to the Ohio State Police that during the landing roll the "...left wheel locked up and started pulling me to the left. I put on the right brake to try to correct it ... but I hit an embankment." There are corn fields on both sides of the landing surface. An FAA safety inspector reported that "...it was determined that what had actually happened was that upon the landing touchdown, which was slightly off to the left of centerline, the PIC had dragged the left wing through the tops of the corn ... The runway was only 39 1/2 feet wide to begin with and according to a 1975 Cessna Owners manual, the wingspan on the [Cessna 172] is 36 feet. The PIC didn't have to be off the centerline by very much for the high corn and narrow runway to be an important factor in the loss of directional control. Because of the increasing drag factor during his deceleration and loss of control effectiveness at the same time, the PIC was unable to compensate for his directional control problem." The airplane subsequently departed the left side of the landing surface and struck an embankment.