LAX94LA339

At the conclusion of a cross-country flight, the pilot made a traffic pattern approach and landed on runway 28. The pilot reported that the airplane touched down within the first 1/3 of the runway, and during rollout, encountered a wind between 180 and 270 degrees at 10 to 25 knots. The pilot reported that despite all her efforts, she was unable to maintain a ground track down the runway, and she lost control of the airplane. The airplane veered off the runway and entered a ditch. Four months earlier, the pilot had been issued a private pilot certificate.

On August 25, 1994, at 1330 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172, N9447E, operated by the Sundance Flying Club, experienced a loss of directional control during landing rollout at the Lampson (uncontrolled) Field, Lakeport, California. The airplane veered off the runway, collided with a berm, and was substantially damaged. The private pilot was not injured during the personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan was filed for the operation which originated from Palo Alto, California, at 1215 on the day of the accident.

The pilot said that as she approached runway 28 she observed the midfield wind sock and estimated that the wind direction and speed were variable. The wind direction was from 180 to 270 degrees, and the speed between 10 and 25 knots.

The pilot stated that the airplane touched down within the first 1/3 of the runway, and then encountered a gusty left crosswind. Despite all her efforts at manipulating the airplane's controls, she was unable to maintain a ground track down the runway. She lost control of the airplane, it veered off the runway, and it went into a ditch.

The pilot further stated that she received a private pilot certificate in April, 1994. She had about 141 hours of total flight time, and about 19 hours of flight time in the Cessna 172.