Aviation Crash Map

Cessna 172M N20508

24 February 1997 · Petaluma, California, United States · No injuries

Summary

On 24 February 1997 at about 00:15 local time, a Cessna 172M registered N20508 was involved in an accident near Petaluma, California, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

The record

Date
at 00:15
Classification
Accident
Location
Petaluma, California, United States
Nearest airport
Petaluma Municipal (O69)
Coordinates
38.2309, -122.5591
Aircraft
Cessna 172M
Registration
N20508
Category
Airplane
Engines
1
Operator
Not recorded
Operating rule
Part 91: General Aviation
Purpose of flight
Personal
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Route
Little River → Unknown
Aircraft damage
Substantial
Weather
VMC
Light
Day
NTSB number
LAX97LA113

People

Nobody was injured.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
1 0 0 0 1

Probable cause

The pilot's inadequate compensation for the crosswind condition and his failure to maintain directional control.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that he noted a crosswind of approximately 15 knots while on downwind leg for landing. On final approach the crosswind required about a 15-degree crab angle but the wind was smooth and steady. He transitioned to a slip to maintain runway alignment during the landing flare. During the landing roll the aircraft suddenly veered and skidded to the right and full left brake and rudder wouldn't keep the aircraft on the runway. The aircraft veered off the runway to the right and the nose wheel became mired in mud which caused the aircraft to veer further to the right and the left wing tip contacted the ground. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the aircraft.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.

Other Cessna 172 accidents

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
28 Jun 1997 Cessna 172P
N55121
Fowlerville, Michigan, United States - No injuries -
15 Jul 1997 Cessna 172N
N737EV
Lakeland, Florida, United States - No injuries -
20 Jul 1997 Cessna 172M
N13428
Athens, Tennessee, United States Michael B. Guest No injuries -
24 Nov 1997 Cessna 172N
N6463D
La Jolla, California, United States Richard Jones Fatal 1
8 Aug 1997 Cessna 172P
N66098
Rockhill, South Carolina, United States Scott S. Fisher Minor injuries -
22 Mar 1997 Cessna 172
N733LK
Middletown, Ohio, United States Barbara F. Schmidt No injuries -

All 12,209 records for this type

Other accidents in this area

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
24 Aug 1997 Airbus A300 B4-203
N862PA
Los Angeles, California, United States Pan American World Airways, In No injuries -
15 Aug 1997 Bell UH-1H
N205DF
Tahoe City, California, United States Usda / Forest Service Minor injuries -
11 Oct 1997 Cessna 152
N67293
Julian, California, United States Plus One Flyers, Inc. Fatal 1
11 Oct 1997 Schweizer 2-32
N242DB
Warner Springs, California, United States - Fatal 1
12 Oct 1997 Bellanca 7ECA
N11860
Tracy, California, United States - Fatal 1
26 Oct 1997 Extra Flugzeugbau EA-300
N69BW
Castaic, California, United States
no coordinates
- Fatal 2

All 170,864 records in United States