4 Votes (5.00 Average) and 547 Views  

Cessna Skyhawk (N73516) - An experienced and highly capable pilot was at the controls of this Cessna as it was landing at Harris Ranch Airport (3O8). There was a rather sporadic crosswind blowing across Runway 32 as N73516 made its s/final approach. It had crossed over the numbers and was not very many feet over the runway when an extremely strong crosswind blast twisted it into an unstable left-wing-high angle and also pushed it out of alignment with the runway. It looked like the plane was about to be forced down into the ground off the east edge of the runway but the pilot put the throttle to the firewall and lifted away into the "go-around" seen here. It was a smoothly executed recovery from what had appeared to be an unavoidable off-runway impact.br /The Cessna landed without incident on the second try.
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Cessna Skyhawk (N73516)

Submitted

An experienced and highly capable pilot was at the controls of this Cessna as it was landing at Harris Ranch Airport (3O8). There was a rather sporadic crosswind blowing across Runway 32 as N73516 made its s/final approach. It had crossed over the numbers and was not very many feet over the runway when an extremely strong crosswind blast twisted it into an unstable left-wing-high angle and also pushed it out of alignment with the runway. It looked like the plane was about to be forced down into the ground off the east edge of the runway but the pilot put the throttle to the firewall and lifted away into the "go-around" seen here. It was a smoothly executed recovery from what had appeared to be an unavoidable off-runway impact.
The Cessna landed without incident on the second try.

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Gary SchenauerPhoto Uploader
A semi tractor trailer rig passing by on Interstate 5 (which is directly west of Runway 32-14 and is parallel to it) was almost flipped by the same blast of wind. The box was actually tipping over when the driver swerved his rig enough to bring his rig and the trailer back down on all sets of tires. I didn't see the initial instant when the crosswind hit the semi because I was snapping this Cessna just as it was about to touch down, but I did hear the squealing tires and a horn and I did hear the trailer bounce heavily back down on to the highway. I glanced over and the rig was shutting down and pulling off of the hammer lane side on to the middle median area. I didn't see any other vehicles in the immediate vicinity. After I clicked this Cessna on the go I looked over at the highway and the rig was crossing over the two lanes to the shoulder but there were no other vehicles involved in the incident that I could see.
That portion of I-5 is known for having extreme crosswinds and there are highway signs posted along I-5 warning of such winds.
ACTIVITY LOG
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Date Aircraft Origin Destination Departure Arrival Duration
17-Oct-2025 C172Half Moon Bay ()Santa Clara County () 06:14PM PDT 07:03PM PDT 0:48
17-Oct-2025 C172Santa Clara County ()Half Moon Bay () 05:16PM PDT 05:42PM PDT 0:25
17-Oct-2025 C172Santa Clara County ()Santa Clara County () 01:31PM PDT 02:46PM PDT 1:15
17-Oct-2025 C172Santa Clara County ()Santa Clara County () 11:41AM PDT 12:55PM PDT 1:14
16-Oct-2025 C172Santa Clara County ()Santa Clara County () 11:29AM PDT 12:35PM PDT 1:06
12-Oct-2025 C172So California Logistics ()Santa Clara County () 04:16PM PDT 07:02PM PDT 2:46
12-Oct-2025 C172Santa Clara County ()So California Logistics () 10:20AM PDT 01:02PM PDT 2:41
11-Oct-2025 C172Santa Clara County ()Santa Clara County () 06:24PM PDT 06:31PM PDT 0:07
11-Oct-2025 C172Santa Clara County ()Santa Clara County () 06:08PM PDT 06:14PM PDT 0:06
11-Oct-2025 C172Santa Clara County ()Santa Clara County () 05:45PM PDT 06:05PM PDT 0:20
11-Oct-2025 C172Santa Clara County ()Santa Clara County () 05:36PM PDT 05:40PM PDT 0:03
11-Oct-2025 C172Santa Clara County ()Santa Clara County () 05:29PM PDT 05:33PM PDT 0:03
11-Oct-2025 C172Santa Clara County ()Santa Clara County () 12:25PM PDT 12:51PM PDT 0:26
10-Oct-2025 C172Santa Clara County ()Santa Clara County () 05:17PM PDT 06:41PM PDT 1:24
08-Oct-2025 C172Santa Clara County ()Santa Clara County () 05:54PM PDT 06:50PM PDT 0:56
07-Oct-2025 C172Santa Clara County ()Santa Clara County () 09:43AM PDT 10:31AM PDT 0:48
05-Oct-2025 C172Columbia ()Santa Clara County () 03:54PM PDT 04:50PM PDT 0:56
05-Oct-2025 C172Santa Clara County ()Columbia () 11:10AM PDT 01:23PM PDT 2:12
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