PARKLAND, FL, USA
N9786B
CESSNA 172RG
A DUAL TRAINING FLIGHT WAS SCHEDULED, BUT BEFORE THE FLIGHT, THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS OF THE FLIGHT SCHOOL ASKED THE CFI AND PILOT-RATED STUDENT TO FLY A SCHOOL MECHANIC TO A GRASS AIRSTRIP. THE AIRSTRIP WAS LOCATED ABOUT 20 MILES FROM THE SCHOOL'S AIRPORT AND WAS ACCESSIBLE BY VEHICLE. ON THE PREVIOUS NIGHT, ANOTHER SCHOOL AIRPLANE HAD BEEN LANDED THERE DUE TO AN ENGINE MALFUNCTION. THE STUDENT WAS FLYING THE AIRPLANE. AFTER TOUCHDOWN ON THE MAIN LANDING GEAR, THE AIRPLANE DECELERATED RAPIDLY. THE CFI ASKED THE STUDENT IF HE HAD THE BRAKES APPLIED, AND THE STUDENT REPLIED THAT HE DID NOT. THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER AFTER THE NOSE LANDING GEAR CONTACTED THE SOFT WET GRASS RUNWAY.
On March 28, 1994, about 1130 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172RG, N9786B, registered to ATE of Texas, Inc., operated by American Flyers, nosed over after landing at a private grass airstrip near Parkland, Florida, while on a 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged and the pilot-rated student, certified flight instructor (CFI) and passenger were not injured. The flight originated from the Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, about 10 minutes earlier. The Director of Operations of the flight school stated that another school airplane had performed a precautionary landing at the airstrip the night before. The accident flight was a previously scheduled dual training flight and before the flight, the Director of Operations asked the CFI and student to fly a passenger (school mechanic) to the airstrip. The student was flying the airplane and after touchdown on the main landing gears, the airplane rapidly experienced a deceleration. The CFI asked the student if he had applied the brakes and the student applied negative. The airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. Examination of the runway by FAA inspectors revealed ruts made by the main landing gears.
IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION BY THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, AND FAILURE OF THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT TO TAKE ADEQUATE REMEDIAL ACTION. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE SOFT/WET RUNWAY CONDITION.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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