Cessna 172P accident near Palo Alto, California, June 8, 2011
On June 8, 2011 at about 9:10 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N9849L, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Palo Alto, California (Palo Alto 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 8, 2011 · about 9:10 pm local time
- Place
- Palo Alto, California · Palo Alto 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
- N9849L · registry record · serial 17276637
- 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 during his descent to land, he observed the windsock and made a mental note to maintain aileron correction for the crosswind. As the airplane reached about 35-40 feet above the runway, the pilot reduced power to idle and at an altitude of 2 feet he initiated the landing flare. The stall warning horn sounded and the nose of the airplane started to veer to the left. After the airplane touched down, the pilot applied right rudder and the airplane started to veer off to the right. The airplane exited the right side of the runway and struck a pipe that was protruding from the ground, substantially damaging the nose gear and firewall. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal 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
What happened, in order
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Response/compensation
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 81 hours in all; 33 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 23 in the last 30 days; 36 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 31, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,428 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 6, 2011; 32 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KMAE Madera CA at 8:05 pm
- Destination: KPAO Palo Alto CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 2,443 ft by 70 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 9:11 pm from KPAO
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR11CA259.