What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
A Cessna 172K N78239 took off from Stockton, CA. Airport and student pilot was performing touch and go's on runway 29L.
On seventh touch and go, pilot lost control of aircraft at or before touchdown, bounced and veered left off the runway and then hit a 3'X3' taxi sign.
Aircraft sustained substantial damage to entire nose section, nose landing gear broken off, fuselage engine firewall & nose section sustain substantial damage.
The aircrafts student pilot was not injured.
The flap position indicator is a after-market led system and the flap motor continues to run when flap switch is in the up position. This flap indicator has the potential to be very distracting to a pilot and could very easily been the cause of this accident.
As the FAA filed it
A CESSNA 172K N78239 TOOK OFF FROM STOCKTON, CA. AIRPORT AND STUDENT PILOT WAS PERFORMING TOUCH AND GO'S ON RUNWAY 29L.
ON SEVENTH TOUCH AND GO, PILOT LOST CONTROL OF AIRCRAFT AT OR BEFORE TOUCHDOWN, BOUNCED AND VEERED LEFT OFF THE RUNWAY AND THEN HIT A 3'X3' TAXI SIGN.
AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO ENTIRE NOSE SECTION, NOSE LANDING GEAR BROKEN OFF, FUSELAGE ENGINE FIREWALL & NOSE SECTION SUSTAIN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.
THE AIRCRAFTS STUDENT PILOT WAS NOT INJURED.
THE FLAP POSITION INDICATOR IS A AFTER-MARKET LED SYSTEM AND THE FLAP MOTOR CONTINUES TO RUN WHEN FLAP SWITCH IS IN THE UP POSITION. THIS FLAP INDICATOR HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE VERY DISTRACTING TO A PILOT AND COULD VERY EASILY BEEN THE CAUSE OF THIS ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N78239 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.