Pilot Debrief

CESSNA 172B near Redding, CA — 2015-10-03

Final reportGAA16LA001
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Date
2015-10-03
Location
Redding, CA, USA
Airport
O85
Aircraft
CESSNA 172B
Registration
N7837X
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Serious
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Landing

Probable cause

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.

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."

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Human factors
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted landing earlier to avoid the fence.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 2 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents2

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