20230201000719A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 172S · Limon, CO · February 1, 2023

Date
February 1, 2023 · 16:45 local
Place
Limon, CO
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Rotation
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N5163H
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN23LA102
Reported as
Cessna 172S
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-360-L2A
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Student
Pilot’s flight hours
99 total99 in this make and model14 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.

The pilot in command (PIC) was a student pilot finishing up the last of his solo flight required for his private pilot certificate. Winds at lic were reported as 330 at three knots. The PIC stated that the flight was normal until he landed on runway 34 at lic. He stated that while putting power in for the take off and retracting the flaps the plane veered to the left and hit a snowbank. He stated that was his entire memory of the event. The iic arrived on scene and performed a site inspection. The aircraft was found upside down on the left side of runway 34. The right wing strut was broken and the left wing tip was destroyed. The propeller was bent and the propeller spinner was imbedded in the ground six feet from the final resting spot of the aircraft. The vertical fin was heavily damaged by the impact and the front windshield was broken. Thirty feet from the wreckage in a line from the centerline of the runway, marks in the snow from the left main tire and tail of the aircraft started. Aircraft control continuity was confirmed on the ailerons, elevators and rudder. Full travel of both rudder pedals produced no binding or noted issues. Both brakes were tested and operated normally. No machinal indications of issues were present. Logbooks for the aircraft were reviewed with no defects noted. The student pilot's logbook was reviewed and determined that he was legal to conduct the flight.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) WAS A STUDENT PILOT FINISHING UP THE LAST OF HIS SOLO FLIGHT REQUIRED FOR HIS PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE. WINDS AT LIC WERE REPORTED AS 330 AT THREE KNOTS. THE PIC STATED THAT THE FLIGHT WAS NORMAL UNTIL HE LANDED ON RUNWAY 34 AT LIC. HE STATED THAT WHILE PUTTING POWER IN FOR THE TAKE OFF AND RETRACTING THE FLAPS THE PLANE VEERED TO THE LEFT AND HIT A SNOWBANK. HE STATED THAT WAS HIS ENTIRE MEMORY OF THE EVENT. THE IIC ARRIVED ON SCENE AND PERFORMED A SITE INSPECTION. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND UPSIDE DOWN ON THE LEFT SIDE OF RUNWAY 34. THE RIGHT WING STRUT WAS BROKEN AND THE LEFT WING TIP WAS DESTROYED. THE PROPELLER WAS BENT AND THE PROPELLER SPINNER WAS IMBEDDED IN THE GROUND SIX FEET FROM THE FINAL RESTING SPOT OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE VERTICAL FIN WAS HEAVILY DAMAGED BY THE IMPACT AND THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WAS BROKEN. THIRTY FEET FROM THE WRECKAGE IN A LINE FROM THE CENTERLINE OF THE RUNWAY, MARKS IN THE SNOW FROM THE LEFT MAIN TIRE AND TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT STARTED. AIRCRAFT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS CONFIRMED ON THE AILERONS, ELEVATORS AND RUDDER. FULL TRAVEL OF BOTH RUDDER PEDALS PRODUCED NO BINDING OR NOTED ISSUES. BOTH BRAKES WERE TESTED AND OPERATED NORMALLY. NO MACHINAL INDICATIONS OF ISSUES WERE PRESENT. LOGBOOKS FOR THE AIRCRAFT WERE REVIEWED WITH NO DEFECTS NOTED. THE STUDENT PILOT'S LOGBOOK WAS REVIEWED AND DETERMINED THAT HE WAS LEGAL TO CONDUCT THE FLIGHT.

NTSB investigation

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