Primary finding
Probable cause
Failure of the pilot to maintain control of the airplane during the landing flare/toughdown. Factors related to the accident were: the crosswind and proximity of the ditch to the runway.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot reported that during the landing flare on runway 22, the airplane drifted right. Subsequently, the right wing contacted the ground and the airplane went off the right side of the runway. The airplane then crossed a ditch and a taxiway before coming to rest with substantial damage.
Source record
Factual narrative
On December 2, 1994, about 1520 eastern standard time, N12395, a Cessna 172J airplane, a personal flight, collided with the ground during landing at Clermont County Airport, Batavia, Ohio. Visual meteorological conditions existed. The certificated private pilot and two passengers were not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The departure point was Tapin, West Virginia. The flight was operated under 14 CFR Part 91. The pilot reported, "I came in over the numbers on centerline and about three feet from landing, (the airplane) went to the right." According to the FAA, during the landing flare on runway 22, the airplane drifted right and the right wing dragged the ground. The airplane went off the right side of and perpendicular to the runway. The airplane crossed a ditch and a taxiway before it came to a stop about 400 feet off the side of the runway. -