Cessna 172R accident near Byron, California, July 9, 2008
On July 9, 2008 at about 3:54 pm local time, a Cessna 172R, registered N354ES, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Byron, California (Byron 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 the landing rollout.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 9, 2008 · about 3:54 pm local time
- Place
- Byron, California · Byron Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172R · all 172Rs on the register
- Registration
- N354ES · registry record · serial 17280047
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that he was practicing touch-and-go landings at Byron Airport on runway 5. The wind was nearly calm. His third approach to the runway, with 30 degrees of wing flaps extended, was normal. The airplane touched down at near its stall speed without incident. After touching down softly, the airplane suddenly veered left. The pilot reported that he attempted to redirect the airplane back toward the runway, but he was not successful. The airplane impacted a taxiway directional sign, and the left wing's lift strut was bent. No mechanical failures or malfunctions were reported by the student pilot during the flight. The Federal Aviation Administration coordinator reported that a subsequent examination of the airplane by the flight school's operator revealed the brakes functioned normally following the accident.
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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Sign/marker › Not specified
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 55 hours in all; 55 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,465 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 1, 2008
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Ahart Aviation, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: LVK Livermore CA
- Destination: C83 Byron CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 5, 3,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 8:53 am from LVK, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.