Cessna 172N accident near Ramona, California, August 22, 2005
On August 22, 2005 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N734MY, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ramona, California (Ramona airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 22, 2005 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Ramona, California · Ramona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N734MY · no longer on the register · serial 17268971
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane veered to the side of the runway and collided with a taxiway sign during landing. The student pilot was on a supervised solo flight. The first approach was too high, so he did a go-around. On the next approach, he maintained glideslope, and executed a normal landing. However, while coming to a stop, the pilot felt that he might have applied too much right brake, because the airplane turned drastically to the right. The pilot felt that the airplane's speed was fast enough that he thought that adding a lot of left brake would make things worse. The pilot raised the flaps, applied full throttle, and pulled back on the yoke. The airplane gained a little altitude, and was still veering to the right. The airplane collided with a taxiway sign during this sequence of events. The pilot then made a full stop landing. The firewall of the airplane was damaged during the accident sequence. The pilot 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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 23 hours in all; 23 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 19 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,106.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2005; 51.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RNM Ramona CA
- Destination: RNM Ramona CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 5,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from RNM
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.