Summary
On February 03, 2005, a Cessna 172M (N472RA) was involved in an incident near Desert Center, CA. All 2 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The instructor's improper decision to land on the dry lakebed without knowing the condition of the landing surface. A factor in the accident was the soft sand surface of the lake bed.
On February 3, 2005, about 1330 Pacific standard time, a Cessna 172M, N472RA, collided with terrain during an off airport, soft field landing near Desert Center, California. Stang-Air was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The certified flight instructor (CFI) and pilot undergoing instruction (PUI) were not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The personal cross-country flight departed Brackett Field Airport, La Verne, California, about 1300, with the planned destination of Ernest A. Love Field Airport, Prescott, Arizona.
This incident is documented in NTSB report LAX05LA084. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N472RA.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The instructor's improper decision to land on the dry lakebed without knowing the condition of the landing surface. A factor in the accident was the soft sand surface of the lake bed.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On February 3, 2005, about 1330 Pacific standard time, a Cessna 172M, N472RA, collided with terrain during an off airport, soft field landing near Desert Center, California. Stang-Air was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The certified flight instructor (CFI) and pilot undergoing instruction (PUI) were not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The personal cross-country flight departed Brackett Field Airport, La Verne, California, about 1300, with the planned destination of Ernest A. Love Field Airport, Prescott, Arizona. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan had not been filed.
In a statement to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator in-charge (IIC), the CFI reported that while in cruise flight, he decided to demonstrate an off airport, soft field landing on a dry lakebed. The CFI had not previously planned to land on the dry lakebed and had no information as to the condition of the landing surface. The landing surface was softer than the CFI anticipated. During the touchdown, the main landing gear sank into the sand, and the airplane nosed over.
The CFI stated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# LAX05LA084