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20030912031569I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Cessna 172S · Kissimmee, FL · September 12, 2003

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 12, 2003 · 09:45 local
Place
Kissimmee, FL
Airport
Kissimmee Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N5190J
Reported as
Cessna 172S
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Student
Pilot’s flight hours
17 total16 in this make and model17 in the last 90 days
N5190JRegistered now · Cessna 172SS/N 172S9151 · Built 2002Airframe modelCessna 172SEngine modelLycoming IO-360-L2AReciprocating

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) This was the first solo flight for the student pilot and sole occupant of the aircraft. Using runway 15 at the Kissimmee Municipal Airport, the student successfully performed two touch and go landings prior to this incident. The third landing was intended to be to a full stop and subsequent return to the flight school ramp. During interview the student pilot reported that after touchdown on the main landing gear, he lowered the nose to the runway and began steering with the rudder pedals. Suddenly, the nose of the airplane veered to the left, and the airplane departed the left side of the runway through the grass. The propeller and main landing gear of the plane struck several runway lights; the airplane subsequently stopped on the intersecting runway. One propeller blade was slightly bent, and the main landing gear struts were slightly dented in several places. The wind was calm. The student pilot was usually dressed in a flight suit and military boots when he came to fly. The investigating inspector suspects that the student pilot unknowingly applied left brake when he pushed the left rudder pedal. This is what caused the airplane to veer to the left. The airplane was in excellent mechanical condition, and there was continuity in all control connections, including the nose wheel steering. The student and the flight instructor were counseled to utilize proper foot placement on the rudder pedals.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THIS WAS THE FIRST SOLO FLIGHT FOR THE STUDENT PILOT AND SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT. USING RUNWAY 15 AT THE KISSIMMEE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, THE STUDENT SUCCESSFULLY PERFORMED TWO TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. THE THIRD LANDING WAS INTENDED TO BE TO A FULL STOP AND SUBSEQUENT RETURN TO THE FLIGHT SCHOOL RAMP. DURING INTERVIEW THE STUDENT PILOT REPORTED THAT AFTER TOUCHDOWN ON THE MAIN LANDING GEAR, HE LOWERED THE NOSE TO THE RUNWAY AND BEGAN STEERING WITH THE RUDDER PEDALS. SUDDENLY, THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE VEERED TO THE LEFT, AND THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY THROUGH THE GRASS. THE PROPELLER AND MAIN LANDING GEAR OF THE PLANE STRUCK SEVERAL RUNWAY LIGHTS; THE AIRPLANE SUBSEQUENTLY STOPPED ON THE INTERSECTING RUNWAY. ONE PROPELLER BLADE WAS SLIGHTLY BENT, AND THE MAIN LANDING GEAR STRUTS WERE SLIGHTLY DENTED IN SEVERAL PLACES. THE WIND WAS CALM. THE STUDENT PILOT WAS USUALLY DRESSED IN A FLIGHT SUIT AND MILITARY BOOTS WHEN HE CAME TO FLY. THE INVESTIGATING INSPECTOR SUSPECTS THAT THE STUDENT PILOT UNKNOWINGLY APPLIED LEFT BRAKE WHEN HE PUSHED THE LEFT RUDDER PEDAL. THIS IS WHAT CAUSED THE AIRPLANE TO VEER TO THE LEFT. THE AIRPLANE WAS IN EXCELLENT MECHANICAL CONDITION, AND THERE WAS CONTINUITY IN ALL CONTROL CONNECTIONS, INCLUDING THE NOSE WHEEL STEERING. THE STUDENT AND THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WERE COUNSELED TO UTILIZE PROPER FOOT PLACEMENT ON THE RUDDER PEDALS.