- Date
- April 3, 2002, 10:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Palm Springs, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N627SPCessna 172S
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 25, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20020403007139A
- Case key
- 54484
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 pilot lost directional control and collided with a runway edge light and taxiway sign.
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 airplane collided with a runway edge light and taxiway sign after the pilot loss directional control due to unintentionally hitting the brakes during his landing. The pilot was able to regain control and guide the airplane back onto the runway.
Factual narrative
On April 3, 2002, about 1030 Pacific standard time, a Cessna 172S, N627SP, collided with a taxiway sign during the landing roll at Palm Springs, California. The Flight School at Palm Springs was operating the rental airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The student pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The personal local flight departed about 1000. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.
The student was practicing landings on his second supervised solo. He completed five touch-and-go landings, and the sixth was to be a full stop landing. During the landing roll, the airplane suddenly veered to the left. The airplane departed the runway, but the student pilot was able to guide it back onto the runway. During the excursion, the airplane collided with a runway edge light and taxiway sign, which resulted in substantial damage to the airframe. The student thought he might have inadvertently hit the brakes during the landing and pulled the plane to the left.
The Safety Board was notified of the accident on April 8, 2002.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N627SP
- Reported as
- Cessna 172S
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S8621
- Airframe hours
- 1,211
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- The Flight School At Palm Springs
- Registered owner
- Robert Parkins
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 3, 2002
- Departed
- PSP · Palm Springs, CA
- Airport
- PSP · Palm Springs International, runway 13, 4,800 × 75 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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 47
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 30 total · 30 in this make and model · 4 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- PSP
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 19, 2003, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 358 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.