Cessna 172P accident near Camarillo Airport, California, March 7, 2010
On March 7, 2010, a Cessna 172P, registered N23FR, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Camarillo Airport, California (Camarillo Airport). It was a personal 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 inadequate compensation for the crosswind gusts and 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
- March 7, 2010
- Place
- Camarillo Airport, California · Camarillo Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N23FR · no longer on the register · serial 17275772
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he performed a go-around on the previous approach due to what he described as a "stiff crosswind". During the second approach and landing, the airplane touched down on the runway and the pilot raised the wing flaps. He stated that the airplane was "buffeted around by wind" and he applied power to initiate a takeoff. The pilot stated that as the airplane's speed increased, it veered left from the runway centerline and exited the runway. After exiting the runway, the airplane encountered soft terrain and nosed over, which resulted in substantial damage to both wings and vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported that the winds at the time of the accident were variable at 10 knots, gusting to 18 knots. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane prior to 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 defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing
- Runway excursion during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Response/compensation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 166 hours in all; 131 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: September 8, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 13,253 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 4, 2010; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Channel Islands Aviation INC
The flight
- Departed from: KCMA Camarillo Airport CA
- Destination: KCMA Camarillo Airport CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 08, 6,013 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 10 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,500 ft; a few clouds
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.