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20210206003499I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Cessna 172N · Columbus, OH · February 6, 2021

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 6, 2021 · 14:25 local
Place
Columbus, OH
Phase of flight
Maneuver
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N3126E
Reported as
Cessna 172N
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
N3126ERegistered now · Cessna 172NS/N 17271446 · Built 1978Airframe modelCessna 172NEngine 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.

N3126E, a Cessna 172N, was on a training flight on 02/06/2021, when it experienced a split flap condition. The aircraft was piloted by a commercial pilot who at the time of this incident was practicing maneuvers. N3126E began descending from 5,000FT to 4,000FT completing several rotations in a 40-45* bank the airspeed during the spiraling descent never exceeded 60 KIAS. At 4,000FT he rolled wings level and continued descending, allowing the airspeed to accelerate, never exceeding 70 KIAS. His maximum rate of descent during the entire maneuver was 1,333 fpm. The pilot began retracting flaps to 10* at 3,200FT to lead his level-off altitude and then retracted flaps remaining at 3,000FT. Once trimmed and stabilized in level flight the pilot noticed that the flap panel on the left-hand side of the aircraft had partially (although mostly) retracted, and the flap panel on the right-hand side of the aircraft was still mostly deployed and damaged. He then proceeded direct to kosu, called the tower, and declared an emergency. N3126E landed 27L without incident and the aircraft did not have any significant issues with controllability on the return flight he was able to maintain straight and level flight.

As the FAA filed it

N3126E, A CESSNA 172N, WAS ON A TRAINING FLIGHT ON 02/06/2021, WHEN IT EXPERIENCED A SPLIT FLAP CONDITION. THE AIRCRAFT WAS PILOTED BY A COMMERCIAL PILOT WHO AT THE TIME OF THIS INCIDENT WAS PRACTICING MANEUVERS. N3126E BEGAN DESCENDING FROM 5,000FT TO 4,000FT COMPLETING SEVERAL ROTATIONS IN A 40-45* BANK THE AIRSPEED DURING THE SPIRALING DESCENT NEVER EXCEEDED 60 KIAS. AT 4,000FT HE ROLLED WINGS LEVEL AND CONTINUED DESCENDING, ALLOWING THE AIRSPEED TO ACCELERATE, NEVER EXCEEDING 70 KIAS. HIS MAXIMUM RATE OF DESCENT DURING THE ENTIRE MANEUVER WAS 1,333 FPM. THE PILOT BEGAN RETRACTING FLAPS TO 10* AT 3,200FT TO LEAD HIS LEVEL-OFF ALTITUDE AND THEN RETRACTED FLAPS REMAINING AT 3,000FT. ONCE TRIMMED AND STABILIZED IN LEVEL FLIGHT THE PILOT NOTICED THAT THE FLAP PANEL ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT HAD PARTIALLY (ALTHOUGH MOSTLY) RETRACTED, AND THE FLAP PANEL ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS STILL MOSTLY DEPLOYED AND DAMAGED. HE THEN PROCEEDED DIRECT TO KOSU, CALLED THE TOWER, AND DECLARED AN EMERGENCY. N3126E LANDED 27L WITHOUT INCIDENT AND THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT HAVE ANY SIGNIFICANT ISSUES WITH CONTROLLABILITY ON THE RETURN FLIGHT HE WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN STRAIGHT AND LEVEL FLIGHT.