Aviation Accident Summaries

Aviation Accident Summary GAA18CA299

Defuniak Springs, FL, USA

Aircraft #1

N12267

CESSNA 172

Analysis

According to the student pilot, he was performing touch-and-go takeoffs and landings following his first cross-country solo flight. He reported that, during his last landing, the airplane touched down "all the way to the right side of the runway," so he aborted the landing. He shut off the carburetor heat and applied power, and the airplane's nose pitched up and turned left. The airplane impacted the grass safety area on the left side of the runway in a nose-down attitude. The airplane came to rest inverted after striking a drainage culvert and sustained substantial damage to the right-wing lift strut and aileron. The student reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Factual Information

According to the student pilot, he was performing touch-and-go takeoffs and landings following his first cross-country solo flight. He reported that during his last landing, the airplane touched down "all the way to the right side of the runway" so he aborted the landing. He shut off the carburetor heat and applied power, and the airplane's nose pitched up and turned to the left. The airplane impacted the grass safety area on the left side of the runway in a nose down attitude. The airplane came to rest inverted and sustained substantial damage to the right-wing lift strut and aileron. According to the operator, the pilot reported that during the aborted landing, he increased the power and the airplane veered to the left. The airplane exited the left side of the runway and the main landing gear struck a drainage culvert, and the airplane came to rest inverted. The student pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Probable Cause and Findings

The student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the aborted landing.

 

Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database

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