20070703011759A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 172K · Cedar City, UT · July 3, 2007

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal NTSB investigation search

Date: July 3, 2007
Place: Cedar City, UT
Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N84888
Reported as: Cessna 172K
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Student
Pilot’s flight hours: 58 total38 in this make and model38 in the last 90 days

N84888Registered now · Cessna 172KS/N 17258655 Airframe modelCessna 172K 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) On 7/2/2007 at approx 1500 local time student pilot privacy data omitted landed on a dry lake bed to check his fuel load. After check pilot was taking off when a wind gust caught the aircraft and weather vaned perpendicular to his flight path. Lowered nose to gain ground speed, could not get airspeed and tried to land again. He tried to miss 2 mounds of dirt by steering and braking. This caused the aircraft to tilt from wingtip to wingtip hitting the aircraft on the ground. A/c came to rest with the tail in the air and propeller spinner in the dirt. Student pilot pulled aircraft down on the main gear and shut off the ELT and called his instructor to pick him up.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON 7/2/2007 AT APPROX 1500 LOCAL TIME STUDENT PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ LANDED ON A DRY LAKE BED TO CHECK HIS FUEL LOAD. AFTER CHECK PILOT WAS TAKING OFF WHEN A WIND GUST CAUGHT THE AIRCRAFT AND WEATHER VANED PERPENDICULAR TO HIS FLIGHT PATH. LOWERED NOSE TO GAIN GROUND SPEED, COULD NOT GET AIRSPEED AND TRIED TO LAND AGAIN. HE TRIED TO MISS 2 MOUNDS OF DIRT BY STEERING AND BRAKING. THIS CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO TILT FROM WINGTIP TO WINGTIP HITTING THE AIRCRAFT ON THE GROUND. A/C CAME TO REST WITH THE TAIL IN THE AIR AND PROPELLER SPINNER IN THE DIRT. STUDENT PILOT PULLED AIRCRAFT DOWN ON THE MAIN GEAR AND SHUT OFF THE ELT AND CALLED HIS INSTRUCTOR TO PICK HIM UP.