What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 3/14/2017 at 2030 CST, a Cessna 172E, s/n 17250696, struck a coyote during takeoff rotation while departing from runway 15 at coulter field airport, byran, TX (kcfd). The aircraft was being operated as a 14 CFR part 91 flight from kcfd to kjwy, midlothian, TX. The student pilot gave the following statement: ?I was leaving coulter airport at approximately 2030. As I hit the speed in which I am supposed to rotate the nose began to climb and as soon as the nose wheel left the ground I heard a large thump. I knew something wasn?t right due to the loud noise so I called up the people who I had just left at the airport and got them to look at the airplane while I made a couple of low passes. At that point I told them to go look down the runway and see if anything was there. They told me they found my nose gear in the middle of the runway and that emergency services were on the way with a spot light. The fire department showed up and shined their lights at the lower fuselage and determined that it was in fact my own nose strut. At that point they retrieved the fire services from easterwood airport and I maintained a high circle around the airport at 3000 ft. when I was given the go ahead I made a normal approach with the extended downwind so that I could give myself plenty of time. When I crossed over the numbers I pulled the mixture and landed the plane like any other time just keeping the nose off the ground as long as I could?. As indicated from the touchdown marks of the lower nose gear fitting, the plane landed on the runway and travelled approximately 90 feet before coming to a stop just left of the runway centerline.
Initial investigation revealed that the nose gear assembly upper fitting rivets were sheared at the firewall and the upper fitting bolts had pulled through the firewall assembly, with the upper fitting staying attached to the nose strut assembly. The cap attached to the lower nose gear fitting sheared and stayed attached to the fitting. One steering tube assembly separated at the strut and remained attached to the airframe, while the other steering tube assembly separated at the airframe attachment point and stayed attached to the strut. The lower engine cowling and the both engine exhaust stacks had damage consistent with contact from the runway.
The aircraft records indicate that the last annual inspection was completed in accordance with the Cessna 172E service manual and FAR 43 appendix d on 11 July 2016, at airframe total time: 3396.8 at the time of the accident, the aircraft had accumulated approximately 132 hours since the last inspection.
When the NTSB report and any other additional information become available, this report will be amended as necessary.
As the FAA filed it
ON 3/14/2017 AT 2030 CST, A CESSNA 172E, S/N 17250696, STRUCK A COYOTE DURING TAKEOFF ROTATION WHILE DEPARTING FROM RUNWAY 15 AT COULTER FIELD AIRPORT, BYRAN, TX (KCFD). THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED AS A 14 CFR PART 91 FLIGHT FROM KCFD TO KJWY, MIDLOTHIAN, TX. THE STUDENT PILOT GAVE THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT: ?I WAS LEAVING COULTER AIRPORT AT APPROXIMATELY 2030. AS I HIT THE SPEED IN WHICH I AM SUPPOSED TO ROTATE THE NOSE BEGAN TO CLIMB AND AS SOON AS THE NOSE WHEEL LEFT THE GROUND I HEARD A LARGE THUMP. I KNEW SOMETHING WASN?T RIGHT DUE TO THE LOUD NOISE SO I CALLED UP THE PEOPLE WHO I HAD JUST LEFT AT THE AIRPORT AND GOT THEM TO LOOK AT THE AIRPLANE WHILE I MADE A COUPLE OF LOW PASSES. AT THAT POINT I TOLD THEM TO GO LOOK DOWN THE RUNWAY AND SEE IF ANYTHING WAS THERE. THEY TOLD ME THEY FOUND MY NOSE GEAR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RUNWAY AND THAT EMERGENCY SERVICES WERE ON THE WAY WITH A SPOT LIGHT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT SHOWED UP AND SHINED THEIR LIGHTS AT THE LOWER FUSELAGE AND DETERMINED THAT IT WAS IN FACT MY OWN NOSE STRUT. AT THAT POINT THEY RETRIEVED THE FIRE SERVICES FROM EASTERWOOD AIRPORT AND I MAINTAINED A HIGH CIRCLE AROUND THE AIRPORT AT 3000 FT. WHEN I WAS GIVEN THE GO AHEAD I MADE A NORMAL APPROACH WITH THE EXTENDED DOWNWIND SO THAT I COULD GIVE MYSELF PLENTY OF TIME. WHEN I CROSSED OVER THE NUMBERS I PULLED THE MIXTURE AND LANDED THE PLANE LIKE ANY OTHER TIME JUST KEEPING THE NOSE OFF THE GROUND AS LONG AS I COULD?. AS INDICATED FROM THE TOUCHDOWN MARKS OF THE LOWER NOSE GEAR FITTING, THE PLANE LANDED ON THE RUNWAY AND TRAVELLED APPROXIMATELY 90 FEET BEFORE COMING TO A STOP JUST LEFT OF THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE.
INITIAL INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE NOSE GEAR ASSEMBLY UPPER FITTING RIVETS WERE SHEARED AT THE FIREWALL AND THE UPPER FITTING BOLTS HAD PULLED THROUGH THE FIREWALL ASSEMBLY, WITH THE UPPER FITTING STAYING ATTACHED TO THE NOSE STRUT ASSEMBLY. THE CAP ATTACHED TO THE LOWER NOSE GEAR FITTING SHEARED AND STAYED ATTACHED TO THE FITTING. ONE STEERING TUBE ASSEMBLY SEPARATED AT THE STRUT AND REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE AIRFRAME, WHILE THE OTHER STEERING TUBE ASSEMBLY SEPARATED AT THE AIRFRAME ATTACHMENT POINT AND STAYED ATTACHED TO THE STRUT. THE LOWER ENGINE COWLING AND THE BOTH ENGINE EXHAUST STACKS HAD DAMAGE CONSISTENT WITH CONTACT FROM THE RUNWAY.
THE AIRCRAFT RECORDS INDICATE THAT THE LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS COMPLETED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CESSNA 172E SERVICE MANUAL AND FAR 43 APPENDIX D ON 11 JULY 2016, AT AIRFRAME TOTAL TIME: 3396.8 AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, THE AIRCRAFT HAD ACCUMULATED APPROXIMATELY 132 HOURS SINCE THE LAST INSPECTION.
WHEN THE NTSB REPORT AND ANY OTHER ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BECOME AVAILABLE, THIS REPORT WILL BE AMENDED AS NECESSARY.