- Date
- July 9, 2008, 08:54 local (15:54 UTC)
- Place
- Byron, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N354ESCessna 172R
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 28, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20080709841899A
- Case key
- 68415
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's failure to maintain directional control during the landing rollout.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The student pilot reported that he was practicing touch-and-go landings at Byron Airport on runway 5. The wind was nearly calm. His third approach to the runway, with 30 degrees of wing flaps extended, was normal. The airplane touched down at near its stall speed without incident. After touching down softly, the airplane suddenly veered left. The pilot reported that he attempted to redirect the airplane back toward the runway, but he was not successful. The airplane impacted a taxiway directional sign, and the left wing's lift strut was bent. No mechanical failures or malfunctions were reported by the student pilot during the flight. The Federal Aviation Administration coordinator reported that a subsequent examination of the airplane by the flight school's operator revealed the brakes functioned normally following the accident.
Factual narrative
The student pilot reported that he was practicing touch-and-go landings at Byron Airport on runway 5. The wind was nearly calm. His third approach to the runway, with 30 degrees of wing flaps extended, was normal. The airplane touched down at near its stall speed without incident. After touching down softly, the airplane suddenly veered left. The pilot reported that he attempted to redirect the airplane back toward the runway, but he was not successful. The airplane impacted a taxiway directional sign, and the left wing's lift strut was bent. No mechanical failures or malfunctions were reported by the student pilot during the flight. The Federal Aviation Administration coordinator reported that a subsequent examination of the airplane by the flight school's operator revealed the brakes functioned normally following the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N354ES
- Reported as
- Cessna 172R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17280047
- Airframe hours
- 2,465
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Ahart Aviation, Inc., doing business as Ahart Aviation Services
- Registered owner
- Plane Guys, LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 1, 2008
- Departed
- LVK · Livermore, CA
- Destination
- C83 · Byron, CA
- Airport
- C83 · Byron Airport, runway 5, 3,000 × 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
- 46
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 55 total · 55 in this make and model · 17 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
- Observed at
- LVK, 12 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.