Cessna 172 N78239

Summary

On 5 October 2018 at about 18:45 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N78239, operated by Jc Air Academy Inc, was involved in an accident near Stockton, 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

5 October 2018 at 18:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Stockton, California, United States

Nearest airport

Stockton Metropolitan (SCK)

Coordinates

37.8942, -121.2383

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N78239

Category

Airplane

Year built

1968

Engines

1

Operator

Jc Air Academy Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Stockton → Stockton

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA19CA014

Nobody was injured.

The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during takeoff. 

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The solo student pilot reported that, during departure and before rotation, the airplane veered left, and he applied opposite rudder, but the airplane impacted a taxiway sign. The nose landing gear separated from the firewall, and the airplane exited the runway to the left and came to rest upright in a field adjacent to the runway.  The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall structural plate and the lower firewall flange.  The student reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.