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GAA16CA073

2015-12-03 · Boca Raton, Florida, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport BCT

Current FAA registration · N5185D

Make / Model
CESSNA 172N
Engine
LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19790622
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A68232

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing touchdown resulting in a runway excursion, a collision with an object, and an impact with terrain.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that while performing a touch-and-go landing, he touched down with a "slight bounce." He reported that he applied power, but the rudder and aileron would not keep the airplane from "going left." The airplane departed the runway to the left, impacted a taxi sign, the left main landing gear and the nose landing gear collapsed, and came to a stop on a ramp. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and empennage. The pilot reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that while performing a touch-and-go landing, he touched down with a "slight bounce."  He reported that he applied power, but the rudder and aileron would not keep the airplane from "going left." The airplane departed the runway to the left, impacted a taxi sign, the left main landing gear and the nose landing gear collapsed, and came to a stop on a ramp. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and empennage. The pilot reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

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

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2015_GAA16CA073.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