Cessna 172N N3318E

Summary

On 17 November 2007 at about 22:14 local time, a Cessna 172N registered N3318E was involved in an accident near Atwater, California, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

17 November 2007 at 22:14

Classification

Accident

Location

Atwater, California, United States

Nearest airport

Castle Airport (MER)

Coordinates

37.3806, -120.5681

Aircraft

Cessna 172N

Registration

N3318E

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Atwater → Atwater

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA08CA030

1 person had minor injuries.

The failure of the student pilot to maintain directional control during the landing roll. Factors contributing to the accident included the sign and the ditch.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

This was the student pilot's first supervised solo. After making his second landing and during the landing roll, the airplane began to veer to the left. An attempt to correct back to the right was unsuccessful, which was followed by the airplane continuing to the left and impacting a runway sign. The airplane continued northwest-bound before impacting a drainage ditch approximately 250 feet from the edge of the runway. The aircraft subsequently turned eastbound and crossed the drainage ditch a second time, which resulted in the collapse of the right main landing gear. The airplane came to rest in an upright position with its tail section in the drainage ditch and its right wing tip laying on the ground. The airplane's right wing sustained substantial damage.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.