20050207032289A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 172P · Cross Keys, NJ · February 7, 2005

Date: February 7, 2005 · 12:40 local
Place: Cross Keys, NJ
Airport: Cross Keys Airport
Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N54812
NTSB investigation: NTSBIAD05CA037
Reported as: Cessna 172P
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Student
Pilot’s flight hours: 11 total11 in this make and model11 in the last 90 days

N54812Registered now · Cessna 172PS/N 17275056 Airframe modelCessna 172P 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 performing his first solo on runway 9. He had conducted one takeoff and one landing prior to the accident. After a full stop landing on the first takeoff the student taxied back to the end of the runway and performed another takeoff. The touchdown was normal with both main gear contacting the asphalt. The student pilot had some trouble seeing because he was sitting lower then he normally does. The airplane was inadvertently steered to the left and the left main encountered snow on the left side of the runway. The left main gear dug into the snow forcing the airplane to veer to the right. The airplane flipped over and came to rest on its back on the left side of the runway with its nose pointing 180 degrees to the direction of landing. The slightly elevated snow bank covered approximately two feet of the left side of the runway and may have contributed to the accident.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE STUDENT PILOT WAS PERFORMING HIS FIRST SOLO ON RUNWAY 9. HE HAD CONDUCTED ONE TAKEOFF AND ONE LANDING PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. AFTER A FULL STOP LANDING ON THE FIRST TAKEOFF THE STUDENT TAXIED BACK TO THE END OF THE RUNWAY AND PERFORMED ANOTHER TAKEOFF. THE TOUCHDOWN WAS NORMAL WITH BOTH MAIN GEAR CONTACTING THE ASPHALT. THE STUDENT PILOT HAD SOME TROUBLE SEEING BECAUSE HE WAS SITTING LOWER THEN HE NORMALLY DOES. THE AIRPLANE WAS INADVERTENTLY STEERED TO THE LEFT AND THE LEFT MAIN ENCOUNTERED SNOW ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE LEFT MAIN GEAR DUG INTO THE SNOW FORCING THE AIRPLANE TO VEER TO THE RIGHT. THE AIRPLANE FLIPPED OVER AND CAME TO REST ON ITS BACK ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY WITH ITS NOSE POINTING 180 DEGREES TO THE DIRECTION OF LANDING. THE SLIGHTLY ELEVATED SNOW BANK COVERED APPROXIMATELY TWO FEET OF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT.

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 IAD05CA037Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportCross Keys, NJThe pilots failure to maintain directional control. Factors contributing to the accident were the pilots lack of experience, and the snow bank.Feb 7, 2005 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N54812 · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19930520017529IFcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise · Morgantown, PAEngine malfunction. Precautionary landing. Landed long on wet grass runway. Skidded off end of runway.May 20, 1993 · Minor damage