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ERA21LA249

2021-06-13 · Groton, Connecticut, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport GON

Current FAA registration · N430EP

Make / Model
CESSNA 172R
Engine
LYCOMING I0360 SER A&C (200 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19980914
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A52390

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during landing, resulting in a runway excursion and collision with an airport sign.

Factual narrative

The student pilot reported that he was flying a visual approach at the conclusion of a solo cross-country flight. Following a reportedly normal approach and landing, when the nose landing gear contacted the runway, the airplane began to veer to the left and “tilted somewhat.” The airplane then quickly veered further left and departed the runway surface. The airplane collided with a runway distance sign and came to a stop in the grass. According to an inspector with the Federal Aviation Administration, the airplane’s horizontal stabilizer and elevator were substantially damaged. He performed an examination of the flight controls, wheels, and wheel brakes; no evidence of a preexisting mechanical malfunction or failure was found. There was a tire skid mark on the runway, leading from the runway centerline to the wreckage. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained
  • — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2021_ERA21LA249.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.

Related research

Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (runway excursion). All research papers