| Crash location | 32.138611°N, 111.171389°W
Reported location is a long distance from the NTSB's reported nearest city. This often means that the location has a typo, or is incorrect. |
| Nearest city | Tucson, AZ
32.221743°N, 110.926479°W 15.4 miles away |
| Tail number | N3880S |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 22 Apr 2009 |
| Aircraft type | Cessna 172E |
| Additional details: | None |
Just prior to rotation speed during takeoff, the airplane veered sharply to the left, departed the runway, and encountered soft sand. The reported weather around the time of the accident showed that the 80-degree left crosswind was at 9 knots, gusting to 18 knots. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. The pilot reported that there was no mechanical malfunction or system failure with the airplane prior to the accident.
The pilot’s inadequate compensation for the gusting crosswinds.