- Date
- September 8, 2011, 13:50 local (20:50 UTC)
- Place
- Phoenix, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5275SCessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 27, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20110908025169A
- Case key
- 81747
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 · 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
According to the pilot, after landing he applied aileron input to compensate for the wind. During the landing roll, the airplane suddenly made a 90-degree turn and the pilot was not able to regain control of the airplane. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that it struck a runway sign and light, damaging the left elevator.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, while in the traffic pattern he heard another pilot request a wind check and the control tower responded 190 degrees at 10 knots. The pilot reported that the airplane landed on all three landing gear and he input aileron for wind correction. On the landing roll out, the airplane suddenly made a 90-degree turn and the pilot stated that he was not able to regain control of the airplane. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors responded to the site and reported that the airplane hit a runway sign and light damaging the left elevator.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5275S
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (S)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S59203
- Airframe hours
- 6,094
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Westwind School of Aeronautics LLC
- Registered owner
- Lake Gateway LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · August 31, 2011 · 18 hours before
- Departed
- FFZ · Mesa, AZ
- Destination
- DVT · Phoenix, AZ
- Airport
- DVT · Phoenix Deer Valley Airport, runway 25L, 8,197 × 100 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
- 30
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Flight hours
- 116 total · 116 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 102 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.84 inHg
- Observed at
- DVT
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 21, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 581 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.
Other investigations on N5275S · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.