San Jose International Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

San Jose, California 95110
Wednesday, September 9, 1998 19:01 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The pilot had been in the landing pattern with an instructor for approximately an hour. After his passenger arrived and took the instructor's place, he went out to practice a few more landings. He took off and made a normal 3-point landing. He retracted flaps, added full power, pushed forward on the yoke, and brought the tail up. Initially the airplane tracked straight down the runway, then began to drift and required him to apply left aileron and right rudder. As he adjusted to slightly realign the aircraft with the runway, it veered sharply and went into a grassy area off the runway and nosed over.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot's inadequate compensation for the existing crosswind condition and failure to maintain directional control

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 9/9/1998
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 1901
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City SAN JOSE
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 95110
Event Date Year 1998
Event Date Month 9
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude --
Event Location Longitude --
Event Location Airport SAN JOSE INTERNATIONAL
Event Location Nearest Airport ID SJC
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 58
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1904 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID SJC
Elevation of weather observation facility 58
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation PDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 2700
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Thin Broken
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 16
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 11
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 270
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 2
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 992
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Sep 9 1998 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1925
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Feb 26 2001 8:07AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N8245A
NTSB Number LAX98LA287
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Cessna
Aircraft Model 170B
Aircraft Series Identifier 170B
Aircraft Serial Number 25097
Certified Max Gross Weight 2200
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection May 1 1998 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 90
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name GARY NIVA
Aircraft Owner Street Address 17200 RAMSEY RD
Aircraft Owner City WHITE CITY
Aircraft Owner State OR
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 97503
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name FRANK MASON
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 1101 AIRPORT BLVD
Operator City SAN JOSE
Operator State CA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 95110
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code SJC
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Takeoff
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Feb 26 2001 8:07AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 30R
Runway Length 4419
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --