20110808018469A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 172S · St. Augustine, FL · August 8, 2011

Date
August 8, 2011 · 12:30 local
Place
St. Augustine, FL
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Departure Roll
Operating rules
Pilot school (Part 141)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N65777
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA11CA446
Reported as
Cessna 172S
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-360-L2A
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Student
Pilot’s flight hours
20 total20 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days

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.

The student pilot advised that after dropping off her flight instructor at the tower she did one successful landing and full stop on runway 31. She taxied back to runway 31 and was cleared for takeoff, applied full throttle and began to roll when she noticed her door was not closed. She tried to get the door shut when she realized she was leaving the runway and going into the grass. She remembers crossing her arms on her chest to brace for impact and was then upside down in the aircraft at rest. Investigation of the scene revealed that the aircraft veered to the left after the initial throttle application leaving leaving the runway only a few feet past the 2-20 runway marker whilst running over a runway light. The aircraft traveled accros the grass approximately 372 feet until it struck a berm where it appears to have left the ground touching down on taxiway b, 167 feet later, it stayed on the ground traveling through the grass another 152 feet where it appeares the propeller hit the groun on another berm where the nose gear detached, the aircraft appears to have left the ground again this time coming down 60 feet further hitting nose first and rolling forward onto its back and coming to rest.

As the FAA filed it

THE STUDENT PILOT ADVISED THAT AFTER DROPPING OFF HER FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AT THE TOWER SHE DID ONE SUCCESSFUL LANDING AND FULL STOP ON RUNWAY 31. SHE TAXIED BACK TO RUNWAY 31 AND WAS CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF, APPLIED FULL THROTTLE AND BEGAN TO ROLL WHEN SHE NOTICED HER DOOR WAS NOT CLOSED. SHE TRIED TO GET THE DOOR SHUT WHEN SHE REALIZED SHE WAS LEAVING THE RUNWAY AND GOING INTO THE GRASS. SHE REMEMBERS CROSSING HER ARMS ON HER CHEST TO BRACE FOR IMPACT AND WAS THEN UPSIDE DOWN IN THE AIRCRAFT AT REST. INVESTIGATION OF THE SCENE REVEALED THAT THE AIRCRAFT VEERED TO THE LEFT AFTER THE INITIAL THROTTLE APPLICATION LEAVING LEAVING THE RUNWAY ONLY A FEW FEET PAST THE 2-20 RUNWAY MARKER WHILST RUNNING OVER A RUNWAY LIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT TRAVELED ACCROS THE GRASS APPROXIMATELY 372 FEET UNTIL IT STRUCK A BERM WHERE IT APPEARS TO HAVE LEFT THE GROUND TOUCHING DOWN ON TAXIWAY B, 167 FEET LATER, IT STAYED ON THE GROUND TRAVELING THROUGH THE GRASS ANOTHER 152 FEET WHERE IT APPEARES THE PROPELLER HIT THE GROUN ON ANOTHER BERM WHERE THE NOSE GEAR DETACHED, THE AIRCRAFT APPEARS TO HAVE LEFT THE GROUND AGAIN THIS TIME COMING DOWN 60 FEET FURTHER HITTING NOSE FIRST AND ROLLING FORWARD ONTO ITS BACK AND COMING TO REST.

NTSB investigation

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