20200929016549A

On 9/29/2020 at 1031 CDT, a Cessna model 172N, s/n 17267865, N75634, had taken off on runway 17R at david wayne hooks airport (kdwh), and was at an altitude of 100-200 feet AGL, when the pilot reported that he encountered a strong yaw to the left. He attempted a landing in a field just west of the airport, with the aircraft sustaining substantial damage. The aircraft was being operated as a 14 CFR part 141 flight, with the student pilot conducting his supervised solo flights. He had already conducted a series of 5 touch-and-go and full stop flights prior to the accident flight; the first 3 flights with his instructor and the last 3 flights solo. The aircraft received substantial damage to the right-hand, forward fuselage area, just aft of the engine firewall, which impeded an operational check of the rudder pedals for full travel at the scene. Additionally, the nose landing gear was sheared from the forward firewall, as well as the right main landing gear assembly/tube sheared outboard of the mount bolt.

The pilot stated that ?the third takeoff (again, on 35L) felt normal until I was around 100-200 feet AGL, when the plane yawed strongly to the left (tail to the right) and also banked left without any input from me. I applied full right rudder but the strong left yaw continued. I kept the power at full and tried to regain control by banking out, but the plane kept yawing and turning left. I declared an emergency. By this point, I was still low and had ended up aligned with a strip of grass to the west of hooks. I decided my best option was to put down there since I was already lined up and still could not stop the left yaw/turn. I told the tower I was going to put it down in a field and then cut power to idle. Once I cut power, the yaw became less strong. I flew a few feet above most of the strip but was going too fast for the plane to touch down. I was quickly approaching the berm and trees at the end of the strip, but more grass opened up to my right. I banked right to aim for that grass, re-leveled the wings, touched down soon after, bounced a few times, and then came to rest after my nose gear caught on a drainage ditch. I pulled out the mixture, turned off the mags, turned off avionics and master, exited the plane, and called the tower on my cell phone?. Weather reported at the time of the accident was VFR skc; wind 300/06.

The aircraft records indicate that the last airframe, engine and propeller 100 hour inspections were completed at airframe total time: 10,110.8, on August 21, 2020. All inspections were completed in accordance with 14 CFR part 43, appendix d. at the time of the accident, the aircraft had accumulated approximately 67.7 hours since the 100 hour inspections. The aircraft was moved to kdwh, where the interior was removed and all access panels opened for inspection. Further investigation showed positive control continuity to the ailerons, elevators and rudder. Emphasis was placed on the control cables and pulleys for the rudder system, with no unusual findings noted.

When the NTSB report and any other additional information become available, this report will be amended as necessary.