20020731021389A

Accident · No damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 172N · Fort Collins, CO · July 31, 2002

Date: July 31, 2002 · 16:05 local
Place: Fort Collins, CO
Airport: Downtown Ft Collins Airpark
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N5088K
NTSB investigation: NTSBDEN02LA086
Reported as: Cessna 172N
Pilot’s certificate: Student

N5088KRegistered now · Cessna 172NS/N 17273959 · Built 1980 Airframe modelCessna 172N Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) The student pilot was practicing soft-field takeoff and landing procedures. He did not recognize that the aircraft was trimmed full nose up. After takeoff, the aircraft stalled in ground effect. The aircraft struck left wing first, with the ground, bounced, then struck the ground with the right wing. The nose gear then collapsed. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The student pilot was not injured.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE STUDENT PILOT WAS PRACTICING SOFT-FIELD TAKEOFF AND LANDING PROCEDURES. HE DID NOT RECOGNIZE THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS TRIMMED FULL NOSE UP. AFTER TAKEOFF, THE AIRCRAFT STALLED IN GROUND EFFECT. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK LEFT WING FIRST, WITH THE GROUND, BOUNCED, THEN STRUCK THE GROUND WITH THE RIGHT WING. THE NOSE GEAR THEN COLLAPSED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE STUDENT PILOT WAS NOT INJURED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB DEN02LA086Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportFort Collins, COthe student pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control and subsequent inadvertent stall/mush into terrain during a soft field take off. Contributing factors include the pilot's lack of experience and the high density altitude conditions.Jul 31, 2002 · Substantial damage