20130606010719A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 172P · Waterford, MI · June 6, 2013

Date
June 6, 2013 · 19:15 local
Place
Waterford, MI
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Rotation
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N549TT
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN13CA333
Reported as
Cessna 172P
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
4,500 total900 in this make and model50 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 flight instructor and student pilot were practicing a soft field takeoff procedure. During the takeoff roll, the airplane began a yaw to the right. The airplane continued to the right after the main landing gear wheels departed the runway, and the flight instructor told the student to correct back to the center of the runway. The airplane then yawed to the left past runway heading and the pitch attitude increased. The flight instructor attempted to take control of the airplane; however, the student did not let go of the controls. The flight instructor tried to reduce the pitch attitude, but the airplane stalled and impacted terrain adjacent to the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The flight instructor reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

As the FAA filed it

THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT PILOT WERE PRACTICING A SOFT FIELD TAKEOFF PROCEDURE. DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL, THE AIRPLANE BEGAN A YAW TO THE RIGHT. THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO THE RIGHT AFTER THE MAIN LANDING GEAR WHEELS DEPARTED THE RUNWAY, AND THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR TOLD THE STUDENT TO CORRECT BACK TO THE CENTER OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE THEN YAWED TO THE LEFT PAST RUNWAY HEADING AND THE PITCH ATTITUDE INCREASED. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR ATTEMPTED TO TAKE CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE; HOWEVER, THE STUDENT DID NOT LET GO OF THE CONTROLS. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR TRIED TO REDUCE THE PITCH ATTITUDE, BUT THE AIRPLANE STALLED AND IMPACTED TERRAIN ADJACENT TO THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REPORTED NO PREACCIDENT MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES WITH THE AIRPLANE THAT WOULD HAVE PRECLUDED NORMAL OPERATION.

NTSB investigation

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