20211119019679I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Cessna 172K · Bemidji, MN · November 19, 2021

Date: November 19, 2021 · 12:35 local
Place: Bemidji, MN
Airport: Bemidji Regional
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N7143G
Reported as: Cessna 172K
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Student
Pilot’s flight hours: 20 total20 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days

N7143GRegistered now · Cessna 172KS/N 17258843 · Built 1969 Airframe modelCessna 172K 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.

During his third solo flight the student pilot had been flying for approximately 3 hours when he checked the weather and realized that the winds had changed and were expected to get worse. He decided to return to his home airport and land as soon as possible. Shortly after touching down the wind pushed the aircraft to the left, the pilot was unable to maintain control of the aircraft and the left main tire hit the snow on the left side of the runway. The aircraft left the runway hitting a runway light with the lower cowling causing minor damage.

As the FAA filed it

DURING HIS THIRD SOLO FLIGHT THE STUDENT PILOT HAD BEEN FLYING FOR APPROXIMATELY 3 HOURS WHEN HE CHECKED THE WEATHER AND REALIZED THAT THE WINDS HAD CHANGED AND WERE EXPECTED TO GET WORSE. HE DECIDED TO RETURN TO HIS HOME AIRPORT AND LAND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. SHORTLY AFTER TOUCHING DOWN THE WIND PUSHED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE LEFT, THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND THE LEFT MAIN TIRE HIT THE SNOW ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT LEFT THE RUNWAY HITTING A RUNWAY LIGHT WITH THE LOWER COWLING CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE.