- Date
- April 27, 1991, 11:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Grass Valley, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N737GYCessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 7, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910427012829A
- Case key
- 27180
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 failure of the pilot to maintain directional control and to adequately compensate for the wind conditions resulting in an on ground loss of control and subsequent on ground collision with a drainage ditch.
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 newly certificated private pilot said he was into the takeoff ground roll when a sudden cross wind gust caused the aircraft to weather vane. He lost directional control, veered off the runway and collided with a drainage ditch.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N737GY
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17269418
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Safari Air
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Destination
- LVK · Livermore, CA
- Airport
- 017 · Nevada Co, runway 25, 4,300 × 50 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
- 38
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 93 total · 62 in this make and model · 9 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.