No fatalities

28 Dec 2015: CESSNA 177 A — Grass Valley, CA

Grass Valley, CA, United States

On 28 Dec 2015, a CESSNA 177 A was involved in an aviation accident near Grass Valley, CA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's loss of directional control during the touchdown and the subsequent attempted aborted landing which resulted in a runway excursion and impact with terrain. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot reported that while on final approach, he trimmed the airplane nose-high, obscuring the runway view. Believing the airspeed dropped below stall speed, the airplane yawed left. On touchdown, it veered left; full power was applied to abort but it exited the runway and impacted terrain, causing substantial damage.

Accident Narrative

During a landing approach, the pilot flew the airport traffic pattern and turned onto final approach. He then trimmed the airplane to a nose-high pitch attitude, which obscured his view of the runway. The pilot reported that he believed the airplane's airspeed decreased below the aerodynamic stall speed, and the airplane subsequently yawed to the left.

As the airplane touched down on the runway, it veered left. The pilot attempted to abort the landing by applying full power, but the airplane continued to veer left, departed the left side of the runway, and struck terrain.

Pilot Report

The pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. His report focused on his own actions and perceptions during the approach and touchdown.

Damage

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, the right horizontal stabilizer, and the right elevator. The extent of damage to other components was not specified.

Contributing factors

PilotDirectional control — Not attained/maintained