- Date
- March 17, 2002, 15:45 local (23:45 UTC)
- Place
- Deer Park, WA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N77301Cessna 120
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 1, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA - FSDO
- FAA report
- 20020317003959A
- Case key
- 54449
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
Loss of directional control while landing. A drainage ditch was a factor.
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 private pilot reported that the airplane "bounced" (during a simulated crosswind landing) and directional control was lost. After the bounced landing, the airplane veered to the left (west), exited the runway and collided with a drainage ditch.
Factual narrative
On March 17, 2002, approximately 1545 Pacific standard time, a Cessna 120 airplane, N77301, registered to Dewpoint Aviation LLC of Deer Park, Washington, and being operated by a private pilot on a 14 CFR 91 personal flight, was substantially damaged when the pilot lost directional control, went off the side of the runway and struck a ditch during landing practice on runway 34 at Deer Park, Washington. The pilot, who was the airplane's sole occupant, received minor injuries in the accident. Visual meteorological conditions with calm winds were reported at Deer Park at 1553, and no flight plan was filed for the flight.
The pilot reported that the airplane "bounced" (during a simulated crosswind landing) and directional control was lost. After the bounced landing, the airplane veered to the left (west), exited the runway and collided with a drainage ditch.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N77301
- Reported as
- Cessna 120
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 11743
- Airframe hours
- 1,259
- Engine
- Continental C85-12, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Penelope L. Lewis
- Registered owner
- Dewpoint Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 20, 2001 · 48 hours before
- Departed
- DEW · Deer Park, WA
- Destination
- DEW
- Airport
- DEW · Deer Park, runway 34, 6,100 × 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
- Pilot
- Age
- 54
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- June 11, 2001
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 843 total · 13 in this make and model · 618 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 0 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,400 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.96 inHg
- Observed at
- DEW
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 6, 2003, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 315 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.