Summary
On May 27, 1995, a Cessna 172B (N7996X) was involved in an incident near Sinclair Island, WA. All 4 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ATTAIN THE PROPER TOUCHDOWN POINT. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE A TAILWIND, WET GRASS, AND THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE REMEDIAL ACTION.
On May 27, 1995, about 1015 hours Pacific daylight time, N7996X, a Cessna 172B, operated by the owner/pilot, impacted a fence during landing roll and was substantially damaged on Sinclair Island, Washington. The certified flight instructor and his three passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. The personal flight departed from Auburn, Washington, and was conducted under 14 CFR 91.
According to the pilot-in-command, who was seated in the right front seat, the braking action of the airplane was ineffective during landing roll on a 1,500-foot private grass strip. The pilot stated that due to a downwind landing, his touchdown was further down the runway than anticipated.
This incident is documented in NTSB report SEA95LA107. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N7996X.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ATTAIN THE PROPER TOUCHDOWN POINT. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE A TAILWIND, WET GRASS, AND THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE REMEDIAL ACTION.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
On May 27, 1995, about 1015 hours Pacific daylight time, N7996X, a Cessna 172B, operated by the owner/pilot, impacted a fence during landing roll and was substantially damaged on Sinclair Island, Washington. The certified flight instructor and his three passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. The personal flight departed from Auburn, Washington, and was conducted under 14 CFR 91.
According to the pilot-in-command, who was seated in the right front seat, the braking action of the airplane was ineffective during landing roll on a 1,500-foot private grass strip. The pilot stated that due to a downwind landing, his touchdown was further down the runway than anticipated. He stated that he applied light braking after touchdown and the brakes locked up due to moisture on the grass left behind by morning ground fog. He released the brakes to maintain aircraft control.
As he approached the end of the landing area, the pilot reapplied brakes, but the aircraft continued sliding on the wet grass and impacted a barbed wire fence at the end of the landing area. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the left wing and left horizontal stabilizer. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane, and that the braking was ineffective due to the short, wet grass on the runway.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# SEA95LA107