Cessna 172N accident near Palo Alto, California, April 27, 2005
On April 27, 2005 at about 1:45 am local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N737WF, was substantially damaged in an accident near Palo Alto, California (Palo Alto Arpt Of Santa Clara airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student's failure to maintain directional control and the CFI's failure to adequately supervise the flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 27, 2005 · about 1:45 am local time
- Place
- Palo Alto, California · Palo Alto Arpt Of Santa Clara · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N737WF · registry record · serial 17269726
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane veered off the runway and impacted a taxiway following a loss of control during takeoff. The student reported that while on the takeoff roll the airplane was on the centerline of the runway. The airplane started to drift to the right of the centerline. The student said he either released some of the pressure on the right rudder pedal and/or applied some left pedal to correct the drift of the airplane. The certified flight instructor (CFI) reported that during the takeoff roll, with the student at the controls, it "sharply and abruptly" yawed to the left and then "very abruptly rotated." The CFI attempted to regain control of the airplane; however, the airplane impacted "sideways on the parallel taxiway." The student and the CFI both stated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,496 hours in all; 608 in this make and model; 116 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 4 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: None
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAO Palo Alto CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 2,443 ft by 70 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| 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.