- Date
- October 31, 2010, 17:45 local (Nov 1, 2010, 00:45 UTC)
- Place
- Branscomb, CA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3542VCessna 172S
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 16, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20101031050849A
- Case key
- 77723
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 failure to maintain clearance from trees during the landing roll on an unimproved airstrip.
Findings · 2
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 reported that during the landing roll on a sloped dirt airstrip, the airplane approached a slight incline. As he began slowing the airplane, the right wingtip stuck a tree adjacent to the runway and the airplane immediately yawed 90-degrees to the right. The airplane departed the runway surface area, traveled down a small embankment, and impacted a group of small trees, which resulted in structural damage to both wings and engine firewall. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during the landing roll on a dirt airstrip the airplane approached "the second part of the runway that is at a slight angle and incline" to the first part of the strip. He stated that as he began slowing the airplane, the right wingtip stuck a tree located adjacent to the runway and the airplane immediately yawed 90-degrees to the right. The airplane exited the runway surface area, traveled down a small embankment, and impacted a group of small trees, which resulted in structural damage to both wings and engine firewall. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane during the accident sequence.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3542V
- Reported as
- Cessna 172S
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S8906
- Airframe hours
- 3,183
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Charles Mimnaugh
- Registered owner
- Logan Air Services LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 4, 2010
- Departed
- UKI · Ukiah, CA
- Destination
- PVT · Branscomb, CA
- Airport
- PVT · Private Airport, runway 03, 3,000 × 50 ft, gravel
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
- 23
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 22, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 75 total · 69 in this make and model · 19 as pilot in command · 31 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- UKI
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 22, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.5 MB 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.