Cessna 172B accident near Redding, California, October 3, 2015
On October 3, 2015 at about 6:30 pm local time, a 1961 Cessna 172B, registered N7837X, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (aborted after touchdown) near Redding, California (Benton Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
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.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 3, 2015 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Redding, California · Benton Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172B B, built 1961 · all 172Bs on the register
- Registration
- N7837X · no longer on the register · serial 17248337
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
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."
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Runway excursion during landing (aborted after touchdown) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
- Loss of control on ground during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › Landing distance › Capability exceeded
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Awareness of condition
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Fence/fence post › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 587 hours in all; 374.8 in this make and model; 15.1 in the last 90 days; 5.3 in the last 30 days; 502.5 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 19, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,633.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 2,250 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 5,375 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: O52 Yuba City CA at 5:00 pm
- Destination: O85 Redding CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 2,420 ft by 80 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.56 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from KRDD, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.