What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 02/17/2014 at 1845L, N426SP, a Cessna 172SP, was landing on runway 4 at the caldwell airport (cdw). Slightly after touchdown the aircraft veered off the left side of the runway, this caused the nosewheel to hit a snowbank that ran along the edge of the runway approximately 6 feet in from the runway edge. The aircraft then flipped over on it's back. The right wing of the aircraft was damaged as well as the vertical stabilizer and rudder during the impact. The snowbank ran along the runway approximately 6 feet
The pilot in command was identified as privacy data omitted, private pilot certificate privacy data omitted. In a statement submitted to the FSDOprivacy data omitted wrote:
"On 2/17/2013, I rented a Cessna 172 from century air at about 4:15PM and decided to remain in the pattern to practice takeoffs and landings since I had not flown since 10/20/2013 and wanted to get current. I took off at approximately 4:30 and did 10 touch-and-go's at caldwell without any incident. I taxied back to century at approximately 5:45PM and parked the aircraft.
With night approaching, I decided to get night current and waited till night time to do an additional three takeoffs and landings to a full stop. I took off at approximately 6:35 pm and proceeded around the pattern and was cleared by the tower for my first landing. Upon
Landing, the aircraft bounced and I increased power slightly in order to smooth out the landing; the wheels touched down again with another slight bounce, and again I increased
The power slightly to achieve a smooth landing; when the wheels touched down the third time, the plane suddenly veered off to the left; I immediately applied right rudder and aileron in an attempt to get the plane back to the center of the runway but I was unsuccessful.
As a last resort, I applied full throttle in an attempt to takeoff and avoid the snowbanks on the side of the runway, but seconds later, the aircraft ended up striking the snowbank on the left side on the runway (I believe it was the front wheel) causing the aircraft to
Shortstop and flip over on its nose, landing inverted on the snow bank.
I proceeded to shut off the master switch, mixture, throttle and ignition to prevent a fire hazard. I unbuckled my seat belt, opened the pilot side door and exited the aircraft through
The left wing."
The aircraft was found to be in an airworthy condition and the aircraft's logbooks revealed all required inspections were completed.
As the FAA filed it
ON 02/17/2014 AT 1845L, N426SP, A CESSNA 172SP, WAS LANDING ON RUNWAY 4 AT THE CALDWELL AIRPORT (CDW). SLIGHTLY AFTER TOUCHDOWN THE AIRCRAFT VEERED OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, THIS CAUSED THE NOSEWHEEL TO HIT A SNOWBANK THAT RAN ALONG THE EDGE OF THE RUNWAY APPROXIMATELY 6 FEET IN FROM THE RUNWAY EDGE. THE AIRCRAFT THEN FLIPPED OVER ON IT'S BACK. THE RIGHT WING OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS DAMAGED AS WELL AS THE VERTICAL STABILIZER AND RUDDER DURING THE IMPACT. THE SNOWBANK RAN ALONG THE RUNWAY APPROXIMATELY 6 FEET
THE PILOT IN COMMAND WAS IDENTIFIED AS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. IN A STATEMENT SUBMITTED TO THE FSDO^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WROTE:
"ON 2/17/2013, I RENTED A CESSNA 172 FROM CENTURY AIR AT ABOUT 4:15PM AND DECIDED TO REMAIN IN THE PATTERN TO PRACTICE TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS SINCE I HAD NOT FLOWN SINCE 10/20/2013 AND WANTED TO GET CURRENT. I TOOK OFF AT APPROXIMATELY 4:30 AND DID 10 TOUCH-AND-GO'S AT CALDWELL WITHOUT ANY INCIDENT. I TAXIED BACK TO CENTURY AT APPROXIMATELY 5:45PM AND PARKED THE AIRCRAFT.
WITH NIGHT APPROACHING, I DECIDED TO GET NIGHT CURRENT AND WAITED TILL NIGHT TIME TO DO AN ADDITIONAL THREE TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS TO A FULL STOP. I TOOK OFF AT APPROXIMATELY 6:35 PM AND PROCEEDED AROUND THE PATTERN AND WAS CLEARED BY THE TOWER FOR MY FIRST LANDING. UPON
LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED AND I INCREASED POWER SLIGHTLY IN ORDER TO SMOOTH OUT THE LANDING; THE WHEELS TOUCHED DOWN AGAIN WITH ANOTHER SLIGHT BOUNCE, AND AGAIN I INCREASED
THE POWER SLIGHTLY TO ACHIEVE A SMOOTH LANDING; WHEN THE WHEELS TOUCHED DOWN THE THIRD TIME, THE PLANE SUDDENLY VEERED OFF TO THE LEFT; I IMMEDIATELY APPLIED RIGHT RUDDER AND AILERON IN AN ATTEMPT TO GET THE PLANE BACK TO THE CENTER OF THE RUNWAY BUT I WAS UNSUCCESSFUL.
AS A LAST RESORT, I APPLIED FULL THROTTLE IN AN ATTEMPT TO TAKEOFF AND AVOID THE SNOWBANKS ON THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, BUT SECONDS LATER, THE AIRCRAFT ENDED UP STRIKING THE SNOWBANK ON THE LEFT SIDE ON THE RUNWAY (I BELIEVE IT WAS THE FRONT WHEEL) CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO
SHORTSTOP AND FLIP OVER ON ITS NOSE, LANDING INVERTED ON THE SNOW BANK.
I PROCEEDED TO SHUT OFF THE MASTER SWITCH, MIXTURE, THROTTLE AND IGNITION TO PREVENT A FIRE HAZARD. I UNBUCKLED MY SEAT BELT, OPENED THE PILOT SIDE DOOR AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT THROUGH
THE LEFT WING."
THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND TO BE IN AN AIRWORTHY CONDITION AND THE AIRCRAFT'S LOGBOOKS REVEALED ALL REQUIRED INSPECTIONS WERE COMPLETED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.