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SEA08CA030

2007-11-17 · Atwater, California, United States · Minor · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport MER

Current FAA registration · N3318E

Make / Model
CESSNA 172N
Year of manufacture
1978 · 29 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19780913
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A39CFB

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The failure of the student pilot to maintain directional control during the landing roll. Factors contributing to the accident included the sign and the ditch.

Factual narrative

This was the student pilot's first supervised solo. After making his second landing and during the landing roll, the airplane began to veer to the left. An attempt to correct back to the right was unsuccessful, which was followed by the airplane continuing to the left and impacting a runway sign. The airplane continued northwest-bound before impacting a drainage ditch approximately 250 feet from the edge of the runway. The aircraft subsequently turned eastbound and crossed the drainage ditch a second time, which resulted in the collapse of the right main landing gear. The airplane came to rest in an upright position with its tail section in the drainage ditch and its right wing tip laying on the ground. The airplane's right wing sustained substantial damage. This was the student pilot's first supervised solo. After making his second landing and during the landing roll, the airplane began to veer to the left. An attempt to correct back to the right was unsuccessful, which was followed by the airplane continuing to the left and impacting a runway sign. The airplane continued northwest-bound before impacting a drainage ditch approximately 250 feet from the edge of the runway. The aircraft subsequently turned eastbound and crossed the drainage ditch a second time, which resulted in the collapse of the right main landing gear. The airplane came to rest in an upright position with its tail section in the drainage ditch and its right wing tip laying on the ground. The airplane's right wing sustained substantial damage. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2007_SEA08CA030.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.