What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On October 25, 2002, between 1330 and 1345 EDT, a Cessna 172N, N267EP, crashed during takeoff from Sebring Regional Airport. The airplane received substantial damage; and the student pilot, the sole occupant, sustained serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the wind was light. The student pilot, who was on the second leg of her second solo cross-country flight, which originated in naples, FL, stopped in Sebring to purchase fuel and have her logbook stamped. She subsequently taxied the airplane to the runup area for Sebring's runway 36. After an unhurried runup, she taxied onto runway 36 and applied full takeoff power in a normal manner. Numerous eyewitnesses reported that upon power application, the airplane yawed left, and no correction was made. As the airplane neared the edge of the runway, approximately 600 feet from start of the takeoff roll, a premature, nose-high rotation was initiated. The airplane climbed steeply; then stalled, and the left wing dropped. The airplane crashed into the grass on the left side of the runway in a nose-low attitude with the left wing striking, then the nose, and then the right wing. Post-crash investigation notedthat elevator trim was nose down position, and flaps were extended about 10 degrees.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON OCTOBER 25, 2002, BETWEEN 1330 AND 1345 EDT, A CESSNA 172N, N267EP, CRASHED DURING TAKEOFF FROM SEBRING REGIONAL AIRPORT. THE AIRPLANE RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE; AND THE STUDENT PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND THE WIND WAS LIGHT. THE STUDENT PILOT, WHO WAS ON THE SECOND LEG OF HER SECOND SOLO CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT, WHICH ORIGINATED IN NAPLES, FL, STOPPED IN SEBRING TO PURCHASE FUEL AND HAVE HER LOGBOOK STAMPED. SHE SUBSEQUENTLY TAXIED THE AIRPLANE TO THE RUNUP AREA FOR SEBRING'S RUNWAY 36. AFTER AN UNHURRIED RUNUP, SHE TAXIED ONTO RUNWAY 36 AND APPLIED FULL TAKEOFF POWER IN A NORMAL MANNER. NUMEROUS EYEWITNESSES REPORTED THAT UPON POWER APPLICATION, THE AIRPLANE YAWED LEFT, AND NO CORRECTION WAS MADE. AS THE AIRPLANE NEARED THE EDGE OF THE RUNWAY, APPROXIMATELY 600 FEET FROM START OF THE TAKEOFF ROLL, A PREMATURE, NOSE-HIGH ROTATION WAS INITIATED. THE AIRPLANE CLIMBED STEEPLY; THEN STALLED, AND THE LEFT WING DROPPED. THE AIRPLANE CRASHED INTO THE GRASS ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY IN A NOSE-LOW ATTITUDE WITH THE LEFT WING STRIKING, THEN THE NOSE, AND THEN THE RIGHT WING. POST-CRASH INVESTIGATION NOTEDTHAT ELEVATOR TRIM WAS NOSE DOWN POSITION, AND FLAPS WERE EXTENDED ABOUT 10 DEGREES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.