- Date
- June 8, 2011, 14:10 local (21:10 UTC)
- Place
- Palo Alto, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9849LCessna 172P
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Runway excursion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 22, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20110608010659A
- Case key
- 80746
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 directional control during the landing roll.
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 reported that during his descent to land, he observed the windsock and made a mental note to maintain aileron correction for the crosswind. As the airplane reached about 35-40 feet above the runway, the pilot reduced power to idle and at an altitude of 2 feet he initiated the landing flare. The stall warning horn sounded and the nose of the airplane started to veer to the left. After the airplane touched down, the pilot applied right rudder and the airplane started to veer off to the right. The airplane exited the right side of the runway and struck a pipe that was protruding from the ground, substantially damaging the nose gear and firewall. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal flight.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during his descent to land, he observed the windsock and made a mental note to maintain aileron correction for the crosswind. As the airplane reached about 35-40 feet above the runway, the pilot reduced power to idle and at about 2 ft he initiated the landing flare. The stall warning horn sounded and the nose of the airplane started to veer to the left. After the airplane touched down, the pilot applied right rudder and the airplane started to veer off to the right. The airplane exited the right side of the runway and struck a pipe that was protruding from the ground, substantially damaging the nose gear and firewall. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9849L
- Reported as
- Cessna 172P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17276637
- Airframe hours
- 10,428
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 6, 2011 · 32 hours before
- Departed
- KMAE · Madera, CA
- Destination
- KPAO · Palo Alto, CA
- Airport
- KPAO · Palo Alto Airport, runway 31, 2,443 × 70 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
- 26
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 31, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 81 total · 33 in this make and model · 36 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 23 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.96 inHg
- Observed at
- KPAO
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 24, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 613 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.