20220514006169A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 172M · Lancaster, NY · May 14, 2022

Date
May 14, 2022 · 14:10 local
Place
Lancaster, NY
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Rotation
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N20459
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA22LA228
Reported as
Cessna 172M
Reported engine
Lycoming O-360 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
310 total300 in this make and model30 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.

Student pilot (minor without a student pilot cert, just started flying) was attempting a soft field takeoff and rotated at stall speed. The aircraft pitched up and to the left. The flight instructor attempted to lower the nose and add right rudder. The student blocked the controls and the CFI was unable to recover from the nose high and dropping left wing. The aircraft exited the runway to the right. The aircraft rotated 180 degrees and landed inverted in the grass after the nosewheel dug into the grass and separated from the aircraft.

As the FAA filed it

STUDENT PILOT (MINOR WITHOUT A STUDENT PILOT CERT, JUST STARTED FLYING) WAS ATTEMPTING A SOFT FIELD TAKEOFF AND ROTATED AT STALL SPEED. THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED UP AND TO THE LEFT. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR ATTEMPTED TO LOWER THE NOSE AND ADD RIGHT RUDDER. THE STUDENT BLOCKED THE CONTROLS AND THE CFI WAS UNABLE TO RECOVER FROM THE NOSE HIGH AND DROPPING LEFT WING. THE AIRCRAFT EXITED THE RUNWAY TO THE RIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT ROTATED 180 DEGREES AND LANDED INVERTED IN THE GRASS AFTER THE NOSEWHEEL DUG INTO THE GRASS AND SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.