20200130010229I

Incident · No damage

FAA incident report · Cessna 172N · Tamiami, FL · January 30, 2020

Date: January 30, 2020 · 09:03 local
Place: Tamiami, FL
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: Pilot school (Part 141)
Operator: YDFS
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N5337D
Reported as: Cessna 172N
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Student
Pilot’s flight hours: 41 total41 in this make and model11 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

The instructor and the flight student called flight service for their weather briefing. The sky conditions at 0732 reported broken 700 and 1100, at 0742 scattered 400 and 1100, 0753 few at 200 and 1100, 0830 few at 200 and 700, and 0853 few at 200 and 600. From speaking with the instructor, when they preflight the aircraft they both agreed the clouds were clearing and at that point the student pilot decided to fly, it was approximately 0830.

The forecast was VFR, the METAR and the then current conditions were technically VFR, with few and scattered clouds at the time of the flight.

While they were in the preflight, the instructor indicated he and his student agreed the clouds were nearly gone. The student agreed and decided to fly in the traffic pattern. Once the student got into the traffic pattern, he saw the clouds at 600 and to him it appeared to be more than a few clouds, panicked and decided to land. He saw runway 13 as closest, he decided to land on 13.

As the FAA filed it

THE INSTRUCTOR AND THE FLIGHT STUDENT CALLED FLIGHT SERVICE FOR THEIR WEATHER BRIEFING. THE SKY CONDITIONS AT 0732 REPORTED BROKEN 700 AND 1100, AT 0742 SCATTERED 400 AND 1100, 0753 FEW AT 200 AND 1100, 0830 FEW AT 200 AND 700, AND 0853 FEW AT 200 AND 600. FROM SPEAKING WITH THE INSTRUCTOR, WHEN THEY PREFLIGHT THE AIRCRAFT THEY BOTH AGREED THE CLOUDS WERE CLEARING AND AT THAT POINT THE STUDENT PILOT DECIDED TO FLY, IT WAS APPROXIMATELY 0830.

THE FORECAST WAS VFR, THE METAR AND THE THEN CURRENT CONDITIONS WERE TECHNICALLY VFR, WITH FEW AND SCATTERED CLOUDS AT THE TIME OF THE FLIGHT.

WHILE THEY WERE IN THE PREFLIGHT, THE INSTRUCTOR INDICATED HE AND HIS STUDENT AGREED THE CLOUDS WERE NEARLY GONE. THE STUDENT AGREED AND DECIDED TO FLY IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. ONCE THE STUDENT GOT INTO THE TRAFFIC PATTERN, HE SAW THE CLOUDS AT 600 AND TO HIM IT APPEARED TO BE MORE THAN A FEW CLOUDS, PANICKED AND DECIDED TO LAND. HE SAW RUNWAY 13 AS CLOSEST, HE DECIDED TO LAND ON 13.