- Date
- August 30, 1995, 16:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Weed, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7641TCessna 172A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 27, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950830027089A
- Case key
- 29204
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 flight instructor's failure to maintain directional control of the aircraft.
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 aircraft owner and a CFI were performing a biennial flight review. The flight instructor said that after the bfr was successfully completed by the owner he asked if he could do one takeoff and landing, to which the owner agreed. The flight instructor stated that the takeoff and pattern were normal; however, just after touchdown he began to have directional control problems and couldn't get the right rudder pedal to move beyond the neutral position. The instructor said he could not maintain directional control and the aircraft drifted off the runway edge, ran down an embankment, and nosed over after encountering large boulders. An FAA airworthiness inspector reported that no discrepancies were found in an examination of the control system.
Factual narrative
On August 30, 1995, at 1630 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172A, N7641T, nosed over following a loss of control during landing at the Weed, California, airport. The aircraft was owned and operated by the left seat pilot and was engaged in traffic pattern operations during a biennial flight review. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft incurred substantial damage. The certificated commercial pilot/flight instructor and the private pilot aircraft owner were not injured. The flight originated at Dunsmier, California, on the day of the accident about 1500 and flew to Weed, where traffic pattern operations were to be conducted.
In a telephone interview, the flight instructor reported that the biennial flight review was successfully completed by the aircraft owner. The flight instructor then asked the owner if he could do one takeoff and landing, to which the owner agreed. The flight instructor stated that the takeoff and pattern were normal; however, just after touchdown he began to have directional control problems and couldn't get the right rudder pedal to move beyond the neutral position. The instructor said he could not maintain directional control and the aircraft drifted off the runway edge, ran down an embankment, and nosed over after encountering large boulders.
An FAA airworthiness inspector from the Sacramento Flight Standards District Office reported that no discrepancies were found in an examination of the control system.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7641T
- Reported as
- Cessna 172A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 47241
- Airframe hours
- 2,895
- Engine
- Continental O-300-C, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Arthur N. Norcliffe
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 16, 1994 · 29 hours before
- Departed
- 046
- Airport
- O46 · Weed Airport, runway 14, 5,000 × 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
- 78
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 11,734 total · 292 in this make and model · 9,000 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 12 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.