What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
N64003 is a 1975 Cessna 172M owned and operated by shannon school of aeronautics in fredericksburg, VA. The standard normal utility a/w
Date is 15 March 1975 and the valid certification issue date
Is 9 October 2018.
The purpose of this flight was personal in nature for the certificate holder to gain hours and practice leading up to obtaining a commercial license. The pilot performed pre-flight of the aircraft and found no issues. He also obtained a weather report from weather. Com and 1800WXBRIEF.com. Visibility was slightly hazy with a few scattered clouds but clear skies winds fluctuating from 220 to being variable from 150-240 at 9 knots with gusts to 14. He took off from kezf to krmn to perform pattern work. While east of the airport, he completed the before landing checklist with the exception of adding carb heat. The pilot entered the pattern at a 45-degree angle and 1200 feet MSL at 105 mph for a left downwind approach on runway 15. He then slowed to 95 mph added carb heat halfway into the downwind. He turned base at about 700 feet MSL, added full flaps, made a radio call and tried to maintain 65 mph approach speed on final. The pilot stated although there was some cross wind, it only required a minor crab during final. He touched down just beyond the numbers and shortly after doing so the plane veered hard to the right and went off the runway. While in the grass he made an attempt to recover and maneuver the aircraft back on the runway but contacted a cement drainage culvert with the nose wheel/gear. The airplane continued forward for 10 feet and came to rest off the right side of the runway in a nose down attitude with the nose gear completely collapsed.
Result of the incident to the nose gear included engine firewall and left wing tip leading edge structural damage, upgraded to an accident.
As the FAA filed it
N64003 IS A 1975 CESSNA 172M OWNED AND OPERATED BY SHANNON SCHOOL OF AERONAUTICS IN FREDERICKSBURG, VA. THE STANDARD NORMAL UTILITY A/W
DATE IS 15 MARCH 1975 AND THE VALID CERTIFICATION ISSUE DATE
IS 9 OCTOBER 2018.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS FLIGHT WAS PERSONAL IN NATURE FOR THE CERTIFICATE HOLDER TO GAIN HOURS AND PRACTICE LEADING UP TO OBTAINING A COMMERCIAL LICENSE. THE PILOT PERFORMED PRE-FLIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT AND FOUND NO ISSUES. HE ALSO OBTAINED A WEATHER REPORT FROM WEATHER.COM AND 1800WXBRIEF.COM. VISIBILITY WAS SLIGHTLY HAZY WITH A FEW SCATTERED CLOUDS BUT CLEAR SKIES WINDS FLUCTUATING FROM 220 TO BEING VARIABLE FROM 150-240 AT 9 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 14. HE TOOK OFF FROM KEZF TO KRMN TO PERFORM PATTERN WORK. WHILE EAST OF THE AIRPORT, HE COMPLETED THE BEFORE LANDING CHECKLIST WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ADDING CARB HEAT. THE PILOT ENTERED THE PATTERN AT A 45-DEGREE ANGLE AND 1200 FEET MSL AT 105 MPH FOR A LEFT DOWNWIND APPROACH ON RUNWAY 15. HE THEN SLOWED TO 95 MPH ADDED CARB HEAT HALFWAY INTO THE DOWNWIND. HE TURNED BASE AT ABOUT 700 FEET MSL, ADDED FULL FLAPS, MADE A RADIO CALL AND TRIED TO MAINTAIN 65 MPH APPROACH SPEED ON FINAL. THE PILOT STATED ALTHOUGH THERE WAS SOME CROSS WIND, IT ONLY REQUIRED A MINOR CRAB DURING FINAL. HE TOUCHED DOWN JUST BEYOND THE NUMBERS AND SHORTLY AFTER DOING SO THE PLANE VEERED HARD TO THE RIGHT AND WENT OFF THE RUNWAY. WHILE IN THE GRASS HE MADE AN ATTEMPT TO RECOVER AND MANEUVER THE AIRCRAFT BACK ON THE RUNWAY BUT CONTACTED A CEMENT DRAINAGE CULVERT WITH THE NOSE WHEEL/GEAR. THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED FORWARD FOR 10 FEET AND CAME TO REST OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE WITH THE NOSE GEAR COMPLETELY COLLAPSED.
RESULT OF THE INCIDENT TO THE NOSE GEAR INCLUDED ENGINE FIREWALL AND LEFT WING TIP LEADING EDGE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE, UPGRADED TO AN 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.