20200227002069A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 172L · Dubois, ID · February 27, 2020

Date: February 27, 2020 · 09:15 local
Place: Dubois, ID
Airport: Dubois, Municipal
Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N7904G
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR20CA095
Reported as: Cessna 172L
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 716 total254 in this make and model131 in the last 90 days

N7904GRegistered now · Cessna 172LS/N 17259604 · Built 1970 Airframe modelCessna 172L Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

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.

A student in training for his private pilot?s license and his instructor were on a training flight near Dubois, Idaho (U41) airport. While practicing a low approach to runway 16, the student got too low and the main landing gear tires contacted the deep snow. As they slowed, the main tires sunk deeper into the snow followed by the nose landing gear tire ultimately resulting in the aircraft flipping forward on its back.

The instructor stated that they encountered a slight downdraft just prior to the main landing gear tires touching the snow. He also stated that due to the flat light conditions he didn?t believe they were quite as low as they actually were.

As the FAA filed it

A STUDENT IN TRAINING FOR HIS PRIVATE PILOT?S LICENSE AND HIS INSTRUCTOR WERE ON A TRAINING FLIGHT NEAR DUBOIS, IDAHO (U41) AIRPORT. WHILE PRACTICING A LOW APPROACH TO RUNWAY 16, THE STUDENT GOT TOO LOW AND THE MAIN LANDING GEAR TIRES CONTACTED THE DEEP SNOW. AS THEY SLOWED, THE MAIN TIRES SUNK DEEPER INTO THE SNOW FOLLOWED BY THE NOSE LANDING GEAR TIRE ULTIMATELY RESULTING IN THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPING FORWARD ON ITS BACK.

THE INSTRUCTOR STATED THAT THEY ENCOUNTERED A SLIGHT DOWNDRAFT JUST PRIOR TO THE MAIN LANDING GEAR TIRES TOUCHING THE SNOW. HE ALSO STATED THAT DUE TO THE FLAT LIGHT CONDITIONS HE DIDN?T BELIEVE THEY WERE QUITE AS LOW AS THEY ACTUALLY WERE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB WPR20CA095Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportDubois, IDThe student pilot's failure to maintain a proper airspeed and descent rate while conducting a low pass over a snow-covered runway after encountering a downdraft and the flight instructor's delayed action, which resulted in the wheels contacting the snow and…Feb 27, 2020 · Substantial damage