What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On December 04, 2020, 2211 UTC time, N737NB after making taxi back landings on runway 31 right at Palm Springs airport (psp), veered to the left and spiraled nose-down onto runway 31 left near taxiway hotel. N737NB, a Cessna 172 and was on a practice flight from thermal airport (trm) with a student pilot as sole occupant on board the aircraft. According to privacy data omitted, air traffic manager at Palm Springs airport, the student was making solo pattern work and made 2 full stop taxi-backs when on the third attempt (given a cleared for the option runway 31 right) made a hard bounce and went airborne. On December 05, 2020, 9AM Saturday morning the riverside FSDO had an inspector travel to Palm Springs on behalf of the NTSB to inspect the aircraft and talk with the operations person on duty the day of the accident privacy data omitted. The aircraft, runway and airport video were examined on that day with the help of privacy data omitted. The aircraft was found totally destroyed and the airport videos showed the aircraft descend into the ground in a left spiral from approximately 30 feet in the air. The video was from a distance, but showed what could have been a stall spin accident. The pilot was taken to the hospital in stable condition after the accident having been extracted from the aircraft by the airport fire department. There were marks on the runway showing an impact trail that was less than 30 feet long showing an abrupt impact. A witness report came in from privacy data omitted by phone on December 06, 2020, who stated that he was 500 feet from the aircraft while visiting the field air museum and stated that (the engine sounded as though it did not have enough power.) The operations workers on the field that day also saw the accident, but were nearly 4000 feet away and made a description similar to the tower manager describing the spiral to the ground, but they could not hear if there was a problem with the engine. Weather was not a factor in this accident report as it was clear with wind out of 140 degrees at 4 knots and there was also enough runway left for an emergency landing. The NTSB could not determine from the information gained if the accident was pilot induced or a possible mechanical issue and have asked that the aircraft have a major inspection to look at all possibilities. At that time a statement from the pilot has not been made as she had broken bones and jaw surgery and was not able to give her own explanation of the event. Also in that regard, the pilot is a minor and under guidance of her parents and approval to speak with her has not been granted. On February 16/2021 the NTSB verified that communication with the pilot did could not determine if it was a pilot induced accident and the aircraft inspection and teardown will move forward.
Activity # WP21202101443
As the FAA filed it
ON DECEMBER 04, 2020, 2211 UTC TIME, N737NB AFTER MAKING TAXI BACK LANDINGS ON RUNWAY 31 RIGHT AT PALM SPRINGS AIRPORT (PSP), VEERED TO THE LEFT AND SPIRALED NOSE-DOWN ONTO RUNWAY 31 LEFT NEAR TAXIWAY HOTEL. N737NB, A CESSNA 172 AND WAS ON A PRACTICE FLIGHT FROM THERMAL AIRPORT (TRM) WITH A STUDENT PILOT AS SOLE OCCUPANT ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT. ACCORDING TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, AIR TRAFFIC MANAGER AT PALM SPRINGS AIRPORT, THE STUDENT WAS MAKING SOLO PATTERN WORK AND MADE 2 FULL STOP TAXI-BACKS WHEN ON THE THIRD ATTEMPT (GIVEN A CLEARED FOR THE OPTION RUNWAY 31 RIGHT) MADE A HARD BOUNCE AND WENT AIRBORNE. ON DECEMBER 05, 2020, 9AM SATURDAY MORNING THE RIVERSIDE FSDO HAD AN INSPECTOR TRAVEL TO PALM SPRINGS ON BEHALF OF THE NTSB TO INSPECT THE AIRCRAFT AND TALK WITH THE OPERATIONS PERSON ON DUTY THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE AIRCRAFT, RUNWAY AND AIRPORT VIDEO WERE EXAMINED ON THAT DAY WITH THE HELP OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND TOTALLY DESTROYED AND THE AIRPORT VIDEOS SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT DESCEND INTO THE GROUND IN A LEFT SPIRAL FROM APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET IN THE AIR. THE VIDEO WAS FROM A DISTANCE, BUT SHOWED WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN A STALL SPIN ACCIDENT. THE PILOT WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL IN STABLE CONDITION AFTER THE ACCIDENT HAVING BEEN EXTRACTED FROM THE AIRCRAFT BY THE AIRPORT FIRE DEPARTMENT. THERE WERE MARKS ON THE RUNWAY SHOWING AN IMPACT TRAIL THAT WAS LESS THAN 30 FEET LONG SHOWING AN ABRUPT IMPACT. A WITNESS REPORT CAME IN FROM ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ BY PHONE ON DECEMBER 06, 2020, WHO STATED THAT HE WAS 500 FEET FROM THE AIRCRAFT WHILE VISITING THE FIELD AIR MUSEUM AND STATED THAT (THE ENGINE SOUNDED AS THOUGH IT DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH POWER.) THE OPERATIONS WORKERS ON THE FIELD THAT DAY ALSO SAW THE ACCIDENT, BUT WERE NEARLY 4000 FEET AWAY AND MADE A DESCRIPTION SIMILAR TO THE TOWER MANAGER DESCRIBING THE SPIRAL TO THE GROUND, BUT THEY COULD NOT HEAR IF THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE. WEATHER WAS NOT A FACTOR IN THIS ACCIDENT REPORT AS IT WAS CLEAR WITH WIND OUT OF 140 DEGREES AT 4 KNOTS AND THERE WAS ALSO ENOUGH RUNWAY LEFT FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING. THE NTSB COULD NOT DETERMINE FROM THE INFORMATION GAINED IF THE ACCIDENT WAS PILOT INDUCED OR A POSSIBLE MECHANICAL ISSUE AND HAVE ASKED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAVE A MAJOR INSPECTION TO LOOK AT ALL POSSIBILITIES. AT THAT TIME A STATEMENT FROM THE PILOT HAS NOT BEEN MADE AS SHE HAD BROKEN BONES AND JAW SURGERY AND WAS NOT ABLE TO GIVE HER OWN EXPLANATION OF THE EVENT. ALSO IN THAT REGARD, THE PILOT IS A MINOR AND UNDER GUIDANCE OF HER PARENTS AND APPROVAL TO SPEAK WITH HER HAS NOT BEEN GRANTED. ON FEBRUARY 16/2021 THE NTSB VERIFIED THAT COMMUNICATION WITH THE PILOT DID COULD NOT DETERMINE IF IT WAS A PILOT INDUCED ACCIDENT AND THE AIRCRAFT INSPECTION AND TEARDOWN WILL MOVE FORWARD.
ACTIVITY # WP21202101443
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.