Cessna 172P N9849L

Summary

On 8 June 2011 at about 21:10 local time, a Cessna 172P registered N9849L was involved in an accident near Palo Alto, 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.

Date

8 June 2011 at 21:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Palo Alto, California, United States

Nearest airport

Palo Alto Airport (KPAO)

Coordinates

37.4611, -122.1150

Aircraft

Cessna 172P

Registration

N9849L

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Madera → Palo Alto

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR11CA259

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll.

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

Read the full NTSB 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 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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.