Cessna 172B N7837X

Summary

On 3 October 2015 at about 18:30 local time, a Cessna 172B registered N7837X was involved in an accident near Redding, California, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 October 2015 at 18:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Redding, California, United States

Nearest airport

Benton Field (O85)

Coordinates

40.5681, -122.4047

Aircraft

Cessna 172B

Registration

N7837X

Category

Airplane

Year built

1961

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Yuba City → Redding

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA16LA001

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot’s improper decision to land the airplane on a short runway with a tailwind and his subsequent delayed decision to abort the landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot reported that, while landing after a cross-country flight, the landing roll seemed "fast" even though the airplane touched down "not far" past the runway numbers. The pilot determined that he would not be able to stop the airplane on the remaining runway, so he applied full power and aborted the landing. The airplane was in ground effect as it passed over the departure end of the runway. The pilot thought that the airplane was not going to clear the tree line in its flightpath, so he maneuvered the airplane to land on a dirt road. During the landing roll, the left wing impacted a barbed wire fence. The pilot reported that, during the initial landing, he "landed with a stiff tailwind on a short runway." The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. During the accident, the passenger seated in the front right seat was ejected from the airplane and sustained a serious injury. According to the pilot, the passenger's seat had been in the "full rearward" position, which placed the lap belt attachment points about "mid-thigh" and probably did not allow the shoulder harness to be "tightened securely."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.