- Date
- November 21, 2009, 09:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Yucca Valley, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8504BCessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 23, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20091121024139A
- Case key
- 75081
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 inadequate compensation for the crosswind gusts and failure to maintain directional control of the airplane.
Findings · 3
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 pilot was landing in a crosswind when a gust of wind coming between hangars caused the airplane to veer away from the wind and off the runway. The pilot applied full power in an attempt to execute a go-around, but subsequently impacted terrain and nosed over. The pilot said there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated in the Pilot/Operator Accident Report that he was landing in a crosswind, when a gust of wind coming between hangars caused the airplane to veer away from the wind and off the runway. The pilot applied full power in an attempt to execute a go-around but subsequently impacted terrain and nosed over. The pilot stated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8504B
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 36204
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-300 SER, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- KTNP · Twentynine Palm, CA
- Destination
- 6CA5 · Yucca Valley, CA
- Airport
- 6CA5 · Valley Vista Airport, runway 18, 3,000 × 60 ft, dirt
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
- 29
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 4, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 115 total · 115 in this make and model · 3 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
- Observed at
- KL35
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 22, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 333 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.