Narrative:

I conducted all necessary pre-landing procedures. On downwind I looked at both windsocks and saw a slight wind (approx. 3-5 KTS) from the south favoring runway 17. When I turned from base to final I noted the windsock and saw that the wind had not shifted. Configured with landing flaps; I touched down on the two main tires; softly; approximately 750 ft beyond the approach end threshold of runway 17. I was pointed straight down the runway; with the nosewheel approximately 4 feet to the right of the centerline. I held the nosewheel off the runway until the elevator began losing effectiveness. When I let the nosewheel gently touch the ground approximately 1050 ft from the threshold of the runway the plane began to turn slightly to the left. I attempted to adjust with right rudder but as the airplane slowed it continued turning to the left. I applied full right rudder and then full right brake. The aircraft left skid marks from its nosewheel and right main wheel. It appeared that the nose gear skid marks began a few feet before the right main skid marks; but because the right main scribed a bigger arc its skid marks are longer. These measured 242'10' for the nose gear and 254'1' for the right main gear from the point where the skid marks become apparent to the point the aircraft departed the runway. The aircraft's right main skid marks began 4 ft to the right of the runway centerline and continued until the aircraft left the prepared surface on the left side of the runway. Applying full right rudder and brake was not enough to overcome the airplane's increasing left turn; the airplane veered off the left side of the runway skidding an additional 238 ft through the brush before coming to a stop. The nosewheel dug into the sand skidding for 63 ft; eventually failing. All measurements were taken using a measuring wheel. As a note; the nosewheel strut had maintenance performed on it the evening before. This was the first flight and landing after this maintenance had been done. I feel that with my experience level I did everything I could to avoid an incident. In the future I hope to improve my awareness of wind shift as well as aircraft characteristics. I have learned immensely from this incident and intend on using this experience to make me a better pilot.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 pilot reported loosing control of the aircraft after landing when it turned hard left and the turn could not be stopped with either right rudder or braking action.

Narrative: I conducted all necessary pre-landing procedures. On downwind I looked at both windsocks and saw a slight wind (approx. 3-5 KTS) from the south favoring Runway 17. When I turned from base to final I noted the windsock and saw that the wind had not shifted. Configured with landing flaps; I touched down on the two main tires; softly; approximately 750 FT beyond the approach end threshold of Runway 17. I was pointed straight down the runway; with the nosewheel approximately 4 feet to the right of the centerline. I held the nosewheel off the runway until the elevator began losing effectiveness. When I let the nosewheel gently touch the ground approximately 1050 FT from the threshold of the runway the plane began to turn slightly to the left. I attempted to adjust with right rudder but as the airplane slowed it continued turning to the left. I applied full right rudder and then full right brake. The aircraft left skid marks from its nosewheel and right main wheel. It appeared that the nose gear skid marks began a few feet before the right main skid marks; but because the right main scribed a bigger arc its skid marks are longer. These measured 242'10' for the nose gear and 254'1' for the right main gear from the point where the skid marks become apparent to the point the aircraft departed the runway. The aircraft's right main skid marks began 4 FT to the right of the runway centerline and continued until the aircraft left the prepared surface on the left side of the runway. Applying full right rudder and brake was not enough to overcome the airplane's increasing left turn; the airplane veered off the left side of the runway skidding an additional 238 FT through the brush before coming to a stop. The nosewheel dug into the sand skidding for 63 FT; eventually failing. All measurements were taken using a Measuring Wheel. As a note; the nosewheel strut had maintenance performed on it the evening before. This was the first flight and landing after this maintenance had been done. I feel that with my experience level I did everything I could to avoid an incident. In the future I hope to improve my awareness of wind shift as well as aircraft characteristics. I have learned immensely from this incident and intend on using this experience to make me a better pilot.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.