20211016018709I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Cessna 172N · Eden Prairie, MN · October 16, 2021

Date
October 16, 2021 · 13:34 local
Place
Eden Prairie, MN
Airport
Flying Cloud
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N739ZG
Reported as
Cessna 172N
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
141 total33 in this make and model38 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.

2021-10-16 N739ZG went off the left side of rwy 28R at kfcm after touchdown

The private pilot was returning from a cross country to home field attempting to land on rwy 28R for a full stop. The pilot had just received her certificate that year so experience was minimal. The winds were from the left and over the hour since she had departed they had gone from steady to gusts up to 19 KTS. The aircraft touched down at the 850 ft mark and swerved left about 15 degrees off centerline, which was directly into the wind. The aircraft departed the runway on the left side hitting a runway edge light. It then proceeded through the grass for 200 ft before coming up on the intersecting runway pavement. At that point the pilot stopped the aircraft with brakes and called for a taxi back to parking.

The pilot called for maintenance to look at the aircraft. The mechanic noted the dents to the bottom of the aircraft engine cowling, noted no airworthy defects and returned the aircraft to service. Tower was noted via phone message that the aircraft went off the pavement.

The FAA did have a discussion with the pilot and her CFI at the flight school. The point was stressed to acknowledge and prepare for the latest wind updates, in this case the gust factor, and do this by holding in crosswind control inputs throughout the landing rollout until the aircraft stops. The technique of inputting these inputs at all times during the taxi to build situational awareness and good habit patterns was also touched on. The flight school did direct a couple of extra training flights prior to additional solo flight.

As the FAA filed it

2021-10-16 N739ZG WENT OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF RWY 28R AT KFCM AFTER TOUCHDOWN

THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS RETURNING FROM A CROSS COUNTRY TO HOME FIELD ATTEMPTING TO LAND ON RWY 28R FOR A FULL STOP. THE PILOT HAD JUST RECEIVED HER CERTIFICATE THAT YEAR SO EXPERIENCE WAS MINIMAL. THE WINDS WERE FROM THE LEFT AND OVER THE HOUR SINCE SHE HAD DEPARTED THEY HAD GONE FROM STEADY TO GUSTS UP TO 19 KTS. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN AT THE 850 FT MARK AND SWERVED LEFT ABOUT 15 DEGREES OFF CENTERLINE, WHICH WAS DIRECTLY INTO THE WIND. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE RUNWAY ON THE LEFT SIDE HITTING A RUNWAY EDGE LIGHT. IT THEN PROCEEDED THROUGH THE GRASS FOR 200 FT BEFORE COMING UP ON THE INTERSECTING RUNWAY PAVEMENT. AT THAT POINT THE PILOT STOPPED THE AIRCRAFT WITH BRAKES AND CALLED FOR A TAXI BACK TO PARKING.

THE PILOT CALLED FOR MAINTENANCE TO LOOK AT THE AIRCRAFT. THE MECHANIC NOTED THE DENTS TO THE BOTTOM OF THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE COWLING, NOTED NO AIRWORTHY DEFECTS AND RETURNED THE AIRCRAFT TO SERVICE. TOWER WAS NOTED VIA PHONE MESSAGE THAT THE AIRCRAFT WENT OFF THE PAVEMENT.

THE FAA DID HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH THE PILOT AND HER CFI AT THE FLIGHT SCHOOL. THE POINT WAS STRESSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND PREPARE FOR THE LATEST WIND UPDATES, IN THIS CASE THE GUST FACTOR, AND DO THIS BY HOLDING IN CROSSWIND CONTROL INPUTS THROUGHOUT THE LANDING ROLLOUT UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT STOPS. THE TECHNIQUE OF INPUTTING THESE INPUTS AT ALL TIMES DURING THE TAXI TO BUILD SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND GOOD HABIT PATTERNS WAS ALSO TOUCHED ON. THE FLIGHT SCHOOL DID DIRECT A COUPLE OF EXTRA TRAINING FLIGHTS PRIOR TO ADDITIONAL SOLO FLIGHT.