LAX01LA102

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 172N · San Diego, CA · February 15, 2001

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
February 15, 2001, 15:16 local (23:16 UTC)
Place
San Diego, CA
Injuries
2 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N4922DCessna 172N
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report January 23, 2002
Report
Approved by Office Director
Parties
WP-FSDO
FAA report
20010215003349A
Case key
51742

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during landing rollout.

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.

Loss of control - on ground/waterLanding - roll
Directional control - not maintainedPilot in commandCause
On ground/water collision with objectLanding - roll
Object - sign

Analysis

During landing rollout, the airplane veered off the runway and collided with obstacles. At the completion of a 3.7-hour-long flight, the tower controller advised the pilot that the local wind was from 270 degrees at 6 knots, and asked him to switch runways to the parallel. After touchdown, the airplane was still traveling about 50 knots when, approaching runway 28L's midfield location, the pilot lost directional control. The left wing rose upward. The airplane veered off the runway and impacted a sign. Airport personnel reported that the collision occurred about 1,000 feet upwind of the runway's threshold. The airplane came to a stop about 550 feet farther upwind of the sign and about 200 feet north of the runway. No mechanical malfunctions were reported with the airplane.

Factual narrative

On February 15, 2001, about 1516 hours Pacific standard time, a Cessna 172N, N4922D, veered off the runway and collided with a taxiway sign during landing rollout on runway 28L at the Montgomery Field, San Diego, California. The airplane was substantially damaged. Neither the airline transport certificated pilot nor passenger was injured. Plus One Flyers, Inc., San Diego, operated the airplane. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The personal flight was performed under 14 CFR Part 91, and originated in Scottsdale, Arizona, about 1235 mountain standard time.

Airport personnel reported that the collision occurred about 1,000 feet upwind of the runway's threshold. The airplane impacted the taxiway "C" sign and veered off the runway. The airplane came to a stop about 550 feet farther upwind of the sign and about 200 feet north of the runway.

The pilot stated to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator that during the landing rollout, as the airplane was decelerating through about 50 knots, the left wing suddenly lifted up. Thereafter, he lost control of the airplane. He additionally reported that he was unaware of the reason for this occurrence. No mechanical malfunctions were reported with the airplane.

In the pilot's partially completed accident report, he indicated that when the airplane was "almost half way down the runway" the left wing rose up, and thereafter he lost control of the airplane as it "violently" veered off the runway. The pilot also reported that when he was on final approach the tower controller reported that the wind was from 270 degrees at 6 knots.

Aircraft

Registration
N4922D
Reported as
Cessna 172N
Category
Airplane
Serial number
17272398
Engine
Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Operator
Plus One Flyers, Inc.
Registered owner
Rent-2-Fly Aero II, Inc.
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Departed
SDL · Scottsdale, AZ
Destination
MYF · San Diego, CA
Flight plan
IFR
Airport
MYF · Montgomery Field, runway 28L, 3,399 × 60 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
39
Injuries
None
Certificates
Commercial, Airline transport
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
Last flight review
October 15, 2000
Seat
Left
Flight hours
3,000 total · 900 in this make and model · 2,200 as pilot in command · 65 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
290° at 7 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
57 °F, dew point 43 °F
Altimeter
30.12 inHg
Observed at
MYF

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.