Narrative:

I was returning from michiana regional airport (south bend, in, sbn) to eagle creek airpark (indianapolis, in, I14) at approximately XA15 local time on apr/fri/95. No passenger were aboard. The plane was a 1976 cessna 172M belonging to a flying climb of which I am an equity member. I landed on runway 3 in a 5 KT, 80 degree crosswind from the left (wind direction 310 degrees). After landing, I taxied back to runway 3 with the intention of going around the pattern for more crosswind landing practice. After landing the next time around, I attempted to turn left at the second exit from the start of the runway (approximately 2100 ft from start of runway 3). The first indication that all was not normal occurred as I tried to negotiate the turn. The plane did not respond as I expected, instead of a 90 degree left turn, it angled off toward the grass at 30-45 degrees to the left. One of the wheels seemed to be skidding or stuck. I attempted to turn right to straighten the plane back onto runway 3 but the plane would not turn back to the right. I left the runway approximately 40 ft from the intended exit, into the grass, knocking out a runway light. I tried to keep the plane moving on the grass while turning left to get back onto the exit but the grass was too thick and the plane got stuck. The engine was still running so I shut down, exited the plane, and called for a tow truck. The entire plane was clear of the runway, facing 210 degrees, in the grass on the north side of the runway (see diagram). The tow truck operator attempted to tow the plane back onto the exit pavement but could not. The left wheel was examined and found to be flat. The propeller was also discovered at this time to have a nick 1/4 inch long approximately 4 inches from the tip. Mechanic was called to change the tire and examine the plane. The tire examination revealed that in all likelihood, I had locked up the left wheel brakes after landing which caused the plane to skid off the runway to the left. Corrective actions I will take will include scheduling duel time with a CFI to gain more experience with crosswind lndgs and ground roll maneuvering in a cessna 172.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT LOSES CTL OF AIRPLANE ON LNDG ROLL AND SKIDS OFF THE SIDE OF THE RWY.

Narrative: I WAS RETURNING FROM MICHIANA REGIONAL ARPT (SOUTH BEND, IN, SBN) TO EAGLE CREEK AIRPARK (INDIANAPOLIS, IN, I14) AT APPROX XA15 LCL TIME ON APR/FRI/95. NO PAX WERE ABOARD. THE PLANE WAS A 1976 CESSNA 172M BELONGING TO A FLYING CLB OF WHICH I AM AN EQUITY MEMBER. I LANDED ON RWY 3 IN A 5 KT, 80 DEG XWIND FROM THE L (WIND DIRECTION 310 DEGS). AFTER LNDG, I TAXIED BACK TO RWY 3 WITH THE INTENTION OF GOING AROUND THE PATTERN FOR MORE XWIND LNDG PRACTICE. AFTER LNDG THE NEXT TIME AROUND, I ATTEMPTED TO TURN L AT THE SECOND EXIT FROM THE START OF THE RWY (APPROX 2100 FT FROM START OF RWY 3). THE FIRST INDICATION THAT ALL WAS NOT NORMAL OCCURRED AS I TRIED TO NEGOTIATE THE TURN. THE PLANE DID NOT RESPOND AS I EXPECTED, INSTEAD OF A 90 DEG L TURN, IT ANGLED OFF TOWARD THE GRASS AT 30-45 DEGS TO THE L. ONE OF THE WHEELS SEEMED TO BE SKIDDING OR STUCK. I ATTEMPTED TO TURN R TO STRAIGHTEN THE PLANE BACK ONTO RWY 3 BUT THE PLANE WOULD NOT TURN BACK TO THE R. I LEFT THE RWY APPROX 40 FT FROM THE INTENDED EXIT, INTO THE GRASS, KNOCKING OUT A RWY LIGHT. I TRIED TO KEEP THE PLANE MOVING ON THE GRASS WHILE TURNING L TO GET BACK ONTO THE EXIT BUT THE GRASS WAS TOO THICK AND THE PLANE GOT STUCK. THE ENG WAS STILL RUNNING SO I SHUT DOWN, EXITED THE PLANE, AND CALLED FOR A TOW TRUCK. THE ENTIRE PLANE WAS CLR OF THE RWY, FACING 210 DEGS, IN THE GRASS ON THE N SIDE OF THE RWY (SEE DIAGRAM). THE TOW TRUCK OPERATOR ATTEMPTED TO TOW THE PLANE BACK ONTO THE EXIT PAVEMENT BUT COULD NOT. THE L WHEEL WAS EXAMINED AND FOUND TO BE FLAT. THE PROP WAS ALSO DISCOVERED AT THIS TIME TO HAVE A NICK 1/4 INCH LONG APPROX 4 INCHES FROM THE TIP. MECH WAS CALLED TO CHANGE THE TIRE AND EXAMINE THE PLANE. THE TIRE EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT IN ALL LIKELIHOOD, I HAD LOCKED UP THE L WHEEL BRAKES AFTER LNDG WHICH CAUSED THE PLANE TO SKID OFF THE RWY TO THE L. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS I WILL TAKE WILL INCLUDE SCHEDULING DUEL TIME WITH A CFI TO GAIN MORE EXPERIENCE WITH XWIND LNDGS AND GND ROLL MANEUVERING IN A CESSNA 172.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.