Incident Summary
A Cessna 172N aircraft veered off runway 30 during landing. The pilot reported that a gust of wind lifted the left wing, resulting in the right wing scraping the runway surface. The airplane subsequently ground looped to the right and departed the runway.
Sequence of Events
The accident occurred approximately 15 minutes after a scheduled record observation at 1248 hours PST. At that time, winds were reported from 350 degrees at 22 knots, gusting to 27 knots. A special observation recorded at 1337 hours PST, as a result of the accident, indicated winds from 330 degrees at 24 knots, gusting to 31 knots.
Weather Conditions
Wind conditions were gusty during the period surrounding the accident. The initial observation showed crosswind components that likely affected the aircraft's handling. The later observation confirmed sustained strong winds with higher gusts.
ATC Communication
The Sacramento Air Traffic Control Tower had issued a low level wind shear advisory to the pilot when clearing the aircraft to land. This advisory warned of potential wind shifts near the runway.