# Incident 20180802009549I: Cessna 172P, West Lafayette, IN, August 2, 2018

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 2, 2018, 17:30 local time
- Place: West Lafayette, IN
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.4437° N, 86.9236° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of West Lafayette, IN, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.4437&lon=-86.9236&mi=10
- Aircraft: N62085, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N62085-2019-08-26) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 172P (registry code 2072436, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172p) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172P
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Student
- Pilot flight hours: 50 total, 8 in this make and model, 10 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180802009549I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

DESCRIPTION:

A STUDENT PILOT MAKING HIS SECOND ATTEMPT TO LAND AT THE PURDUE UNIVERSITY AIRPORT, LOSS DIRECTIONAL CONTROL RESULTING IN THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTING THE RUNWAY COMING TO A STOP IN A SMALL DITCH NORTHWEST OF THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 28.

CASUAL/CONTRIBUTING FACTORS:

THE PILOT DID MOST OF HIS TRAINING IN A CESSNA 150. UPON REACHING THE CROSS-COUNTRY PORTION OF HIS TRAINING, HE SWITCHED TO A CESSNA 172 THAT HAD A GPS INSTALLED. WITH ONLY ONE RECENT FLIGHT IN A 172 THE PILOT WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE FLIGHT CHARACTERISTICS AND ADDITIONAL RUDDER INPUTS REQUIRED DUE TO THE LARGER ENGINE.

THE PILOT REPORTS THAT DURING THE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION FOR A CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT TO CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS, HE FELT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE RUDDER ON THE PLANE. THE DECISION WAS MADE TO MAKE THE FLIGHT ANYWAY. DURING THE TAKEOFF, EN ROUTE PHASE, APPROACH/LANDING AND THE RETURN FLIGHT TO LAFAYETTE THE RUDDER DID NOT FEEL RIGHT TO THE PILOT. THE LANDING AT CHAMPAIGN ALSO RESULTED IN BOUNCING THREE OR FOUR TIMES BEFORE HE TOOK OFF FOR THE RETURN FLIGHT TO LAFAYETTE.

DURING THE TWO LANDING ATTEMPTS AT LAFAYETTE, IMPROPER CONTROL INPUTS RESULTED IN ?BOUNCING? THE AIRCRAFT. THE FIRST ATTEMPT WAS ON RUNWAY 23 THAT RESULTED IN A GO AROUND, AND THE PILOT FELT HE WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH HIS RUDDER. HE ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED PERMISSION TO LAND ON RUNWAY 28. HE LOST CONTROL DURING THIS SECOND LANDING ATTEMPT.

INSPECTORS FROM THE INDIANAPOLIS FLIGHT STANDARDS OFFICE ALONG WITH MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL FROM PURDUE AVIATION INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT AND FOUND NO FLIGHT CONTROL ISSUES.

RECOMMENDATION TO REDUCE RISK:

WHEN SOMETHING DOES NOT FEEL RIGHT, LOOK RIGHT OR FEEL RIGHT, DO NOT TAKE THE AIRCRAFT INTO THE AIR. CONSULT MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL OR DISCUSS THE FEELINGS/OBSERVATIONS WITH AN INSTRUCTOR.

ACTION TAKEN TO CORRECT PROBLEM:

VERBAL COUNSELING WITH THE STUDENT AND FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REGARDING THE PREFLIGHT OF AN AIRCRAFT, FLIGHT PLANNING AND PROPER FLIGHT CONTROL INPUTS.

PTRS:

GL11201805825

COMMENTS:

THIS STUDENT HAD FLOWN A CESSNA 172 SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, A PROPER PRESOLO TEST TAKEN AND PASSED, AND ALL APPROPRIATE CROSS-COUNTRY ENDORSEMENTS MADE.

ROOT CAUSE:

RC4

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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