What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The aircraft departed the runway to the left. The student pilot was practicing a short field takeoff. The pilot stated he felt the aircraft was not properly lined up with center line at the start of the takeoff roll. The pilot stated he did not compensate for torque properly and then over controlled the rudder. The aircraft rolled down and embankment across a ditch and came to a stop nose down. The nose gear was torn off crossing the ditch. One propeller blade was bent to the rear and the right wing tip was damaged. Further inspection revealed the fire wall had been damaged by the nose gear collapsing rearward. (.4) on December 8, 2001, about 1615 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172M, N12521, was substantially damaged while attempting a takeoff from Portage County Airport, Ravenna, Ohio. The certificated student pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local, solo training flight. No flight plan had been filed for the flight that was conducted under 14 CFR part 91. According to the student pilot, he had flown with his flight instructor earlier in the day for about 2.5 hours. He then made a solo flight, remaining in the traffic pattern and practicing takeoffs and landings. The pilot then elected to make a short field takeoff. In the NTSB accident report, he further stated: "...as I was taxiing onto the runway, I powered up and began lifting the nose off the ground. As power increased, I was not aligned straight with the runway. The plane was going left and I punched right rudder to compensate, but more than required. I [then] overcompensated with left rudder and toward the left side [of the runway]. The plane began to lift off but it was only ground effect and settled back down. The plane went off the runway and into the grass. Once in the grass, I pulled the throttle back to power down. The plane rolled on the sod with no complication until came to a ditch. Upon colliding with the ditch, the nose gear was broken off and the prop struck the dirt...." The airplane came to rest with the nose landing gear separated from the fuselage. In addition, the lower portion of the firewall was ripped open. The pilot reported that the winds were calm. In addition, the pilot reported his total flight experience as about 39 hours with 6 hours solo.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE RUNWAY TO THE LEFT. THE STUDENT PILOT WAS PRACTICING A SHORT FIELD TAKEOFF. THE PILOT STATED HE FELT THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT PROPERLY LINED UP WITH CENTER LINE AT THE START OF THE TAKEOFF ROLL. THE PILOT STATED HE DID NOT COMPENSATE FOR TORQUE PROPERLY AND THEN OVER CONTROLLED THE RUDDER. THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED DOWN AND EMBANKMENT ACROSS A DITCH AND CAME TO A STOP NOSE DOWN. THE NOSE GEAR WAS TORN OFF CROSSING THE DITCH. ONE PROPELLER BLADE WAS BENT TO THE REAR AND THE RIGHT WING TIP WAS DAMAGED. FURTHER INSPECTION REVEALED THE FIRE WALL HAD BEEN DAMAGED BY THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSING REARWARD. (.4) ON DECEMBER 8, 2001, ABOUT 1615 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 172M, N12521, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHILE ATTEMPTING A TAKEOFF FROM PORTAGE COUNTY AIRPORT, RAVENNA, OHIO. THE CERTIFICATED STUDENT PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE LOCAL, SOLO TRAINING FLIGHT. NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE FLIGHT THAT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. ACCORDING TO THE STUDENT PILOT, HE HAD FLOWN WITH HIS FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR EARLIER IN THE DAY FOR ABOUT 2.5 HOURS. HE THEN MADE A SOLO FLIGHT, REMAINING IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AND PRACTICING TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS. THE PILOT THEN ELECTED TO MAKE A SHORT FIELD TAKEOFF. IN THE NTSB ACCIDENT REPORT, HE FURTHER STATED: "...AS I WAS TAXIING ONTO THE RUNWAY, I POWERED UP AND BEGAN LIFTING THE NOSE OFF THE GROUND. AS POWER INCREASED, I WAS NOT ALIGNED STRAIGHT WITH THE RUNWAY. THE PLANE WAS GOING LEFT AND I PUNCHED RIGHT RUDDER TO COMPENSATE, BUT MORE THAN REQUIRED. I [THEN] OVERCOMPENSATED WITH LEFT RUDDER AND TOWARD THE LEFT SIDE [OF THE RUNWAY]. THE PLANE BEGAN TO LIFT OFF BUT IT WAS ONLY GROUND EFFECT AND SETTLED BACK DOWN. THE PLANE WENT OFF THE RUNWAY AND INTO THE GRASS. ONCE IN THE GRASS, I PULLED THE THROTTLE BACK TO POWER DOWN. THE PLANE ROLLED ON THE SOD WITH NO COMPLICATION UNTIL CAME TO A DITCH. UPON COLLIDING WITH THE DITCH, THE NOSE GEAR WAS BROKEN OFF AND THE PROP STRUCK THE DIRT...." THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST WITH THE NOSE LANDING GEAR SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE. IN ADDITION, THE LOWER PORTION OF THE FIREWALL WAS RIPPED OPEN. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE WINDS WERE CALM. IN ADDITION, THE PILOT REPORTED HIS TOTAL FLIGHT EXPERIENCE AS ABOUT 39 HOURS WITH 6 HOURS SOLO.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.