20150503007979A

On may 3, 2015, at 1134 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172G, N3969L, impacted terrain and a perimeter fence during climb after a touch and go landing at the Penn Yan Airport (peo), Penn Yan, new york. The student pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the flight which departed from finger lakes regional airport (0G7), seneca falls, new york at about 1115. The flight was conducted under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations part 91.

The pilot held a student pilot certificate and federal aviation administration (FAA) third-class medical certificate, which was issued on January 20, 2014. To date, his pilot logs had not been recovered. According to the pilot's flight instructor, the pilot had been endorsed for solo flight around October 2014, and had accumulated an estimated 40 total hours of flight experience.

The 1135 weather observation at peo included wind from 310 at 8 knots, 10 miles visibility, clear skies, temperature 73 f, dewpoint 37 f, altimeter setting 30.08 inches of mercury.

The airplane came to rest upright with the right wing resting on the airport perimeter fence, about 300 feet to the left of the runway centerline, about 2,800 feet from the runway 19 approach threshold. All of the major components of the airplane were accounted for at the accident site.

The propeller remained attached to the crankshaft flange, and both blades displayed s-bending, chordwise scratching, and leading edge gouging. The engine remained partially attached to the firewall by its mounts. The nose landing gear was fractured and separated from the airplane at the firewall attachment point, consistent with impact. The nose section from the firewall forward had separated from the fuselage on both sides, and the windscreen was fractured and separated from the fuselage. The outboard portion left wing was deformed upward, and displayed aft crush damage consistent with ground contact. The right wing displayed a concave depression and was deformed aft beginning outboard of the wing strut.

First responders reported that upon their arrival they observed fuel leaking from the left wing in the area of the vent tube, and subsequently drained about 7 gallons from the left wing, and about 10 gallons from the right wing. Fuel samples from both tanks displayed a color and odor consistent with automotive gasoline, and a trace amount of water was detected in the sample from the left wing and in fuel recovered from the carburetor float bowl.

The aircraft was moved to a hangar on the Penn Yan Airport for through examination.

Flight control continuity was established from each control surface to the cockpit area. The elevator trim tab actuator position was consistent with 5-10 degrees of tab deflection in the nose up direction. The flap actuator extension was measured, and found in a position consistent with a 40-degree flap extension. The front seat tracks and seat roller brackets for both seats were checked for wear, and found to be within prescribed limits. The left seat positioning rod was found bent forward about 1-inch from the engagement end.

The engine crankshaft was rotated by hand at the propeller flange and continuity of the valve and powertrains was confirmed to the rear accessory gears. The oil screen and paper oil filter element were unobstructed and absent of metallic contamination. The spark plugs were removed and the #6 cylinder plugs displayed black-colored carbon-type fouling. Thumb compression was confirmed on all cylinders. The fuel strainer screen and carburetor inlet screen were absent of debris. The carburetor floats were intact, and both displayed concave inward uniform deformation. The magnetos and were removed and actuated by hand, and spark was observed at each of their respective terminal leads.

The last annual inspection was completed on 8/17/2014, 3592.3 hrs (tach) and 784.28 hrs since engine major overhaul.