LAX06CA174

Factual narrative

On May 18, 2006, about 0935 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172S, N3544Z, veered off the runway during the landing roll out and collided with an airport sign at Madera Municipal Airport, Madera, California. The owner /operator was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The student pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The instructional flight departed Madera about 0930, with a planned destination of Fresno, California. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The student pilot submitted a written report. Prior to departure, he called the Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) in Madera. He recalled the reported winds to be from 130 degrees at 4 knots. He departed Fresno Yosemite International Airport about 0930 and flew to Madera Municipal Airport to practice takeoffs and landings. He planned to do three to four landings in Madera and then return to Fresno. He noted that other airplanes at Madera were using runway 30. He flew southwest of the airport and entered the traffic pattern at 45 degrees to the left downwind for runway 30. During his first landing, he noticed that the wind seemed to be pushing him to the right, but he executed the landing without incident. He came to a full stop, taxied off the runway onto taxiway Charlie, and taxied back to the approach end of runway 30. He took off from runway 30, and flew a normal traffic pattern. On the pilot's second landing, the airplane touched down just past the runway numbers, and he pulled the power back to idle. The pilot said that after touchdown the airplane veered to the left of the runway centerline. He attempted to correct with slight right rudder input. He believed that if he input full right rudder to compensate for direction of travel, the airplane would flip over. He decided to allow the airplane to continue in its current direction of travel, to the left of the runway centerline, and applied brake pressure. The airplane's left wing strut hit a runway marker sign, and the airplane came to a stop beside the runway. The pilot stated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight. The wind conditions at Madera at 0953 were from 150 degrees at 5 knots. During the landing roll out, the airplane veered off the left side of the runway and impacted a runway marker sign. The purpose of the flight was to practice takeoffs and landings. During the first landing, the student pilot noticed that the wind seemed to be pushing the airplane to the right, but he executed the landing without incident. On the second landing, the airplane touched down just past the runway numbers, and he pulled the power back to idle. The pilot said that the airplane veered to the left of the runway centerline and was headed toward the left runway edge. He attempted to correct with slight right rudder, and did not use full right rudder input to return the airplane to the runway because he felt that full right rudder input would cause the airplane to flip over. He allowed the airplane to continue off the runway and applied the brakes. The airplane's left wing strut hit a runway marker sign and the airplane came to a stop beside the runway. The pilot stated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight. Reported wind conditions at the time of the accident were from 150 degrees at 5 knots. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12