20230529014019I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Cessna 172N · State College, PA · May 29, 2023

Date
May 29, 2023 · 15:17 local
Place
State College, PA
Airport
University Park
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N5386J
Reported as
Cessna 172N
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Student
Pilot’s flight hours
51 total51 in this make and model12 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.

On may 29, 2023, at 1400 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172 sustained minor damage during a runway excursion incident at University Park Airport (unv) when it veered off the runway during a crosswind landing and struck an elevated runway light. The student pilot and sole occupant of the aircraft was not injured. The airplane was operated in accordance with title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91 as a personal flight.

The student pilot departed john murtha johnstown/cambria county airport (jst) on the second leg of a visual flight rules (VFR) solo cross-country flight to unv. The assigned certified flight instructor (CFI) reviewed the student pilot’s cross-country flight planning and completed the required logbook endorsements prior to the flight. The weather forecast included VFR weather conditions at unv with wind from 050 degrees at 6 knots. Nearing unv, the student pilot obtained the automatic terminal information service (ATIS) data which indicated wind from 130 degrees at 7 knots, gusting to 16 knots with the wind direction variable between 100 and 160 degrees. The student pilot evaluated the ATIS data and contacted unv control tower for clearance to land. Unv control tower issued a clearance to land on runway 06 and the student pilot acknowledged. The student pilot reported holding a right crab angle for wind correction until established on short final for touchdown. He then aligned the aircraft with the landing direction using left rudder application and corrected for drift using right aileron application. Upon runway touchdown, the aircraft veered to the left and exited runway 06 by ten (10) feet. The aircraft came in contact with an elevated runway light, resulting in minor damage to the left wing strut and left landing gear strut fairing.

As the FAA filed it

ON MAY 29, 2023, AT 1400 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 172 SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE DURING A RUNWAY EXCURSION INCIDENT AT UNIVERSITY PARK AIRPORT (UNV) WHEN IT VEERED OFF THE RUNWAY DURING A CROSSWIND LANDING AND STRUCK AN ELEVATED RUNWAY LIGHT. THE STUDENT PILOT AND SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED IN ACCORDANCE WITH TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT.

THE STUDENT PILOT DEPARTED JOHN MURTHA JOHNSTOWN/CAMBRIA COUNTY AIRPORT (JST) ON THE SECOND LEG OF A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) SOLO CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT TO UNV. THE ASSIGNED CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI) REVIEWED THE STUDENT PILOT’S CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT PLANNING AND COMPLETED THE REQUIRED LOGBOOK ENDORSEMENTS PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT. THE WEATHER FORECAST INCLUDED VFR WEATHER CONDITIONS AT UNV WITH WIND FROM 050 DEGREES AT 6 KNOTS. NEARING UNV, THE STUDENT PILOT OBTAINED THE AUTOMATIC TERMINAL INFORMATION SERVICE (ATIS) DATA WHICH INDICATED WIND FROM 130 DEGREES AT 7 KNOTS, GUSTING TO 16 KNOTS WITH THE WIND DIRECTION VARIABLE BETWEEN 100 AND 160 DEGREES. THE STUDENT PILOT EVALUATED THE ATIS DATA AND CONTACTED UNV CONTROL TOWER FOR CLEARANCE TO LAND. UNV CONTROL TOWER ISSUED A CLEARANCE TO LAND ON RUNWAY 06 AND THE STUDENT PILOT ACKNOWLEDGED. THE STUDENT PILOT REPORTED HOLDING A RIGHT CRAB ANGLE FOR WIND CORRECTION UNTIL ESTABLISHED ON SHORT FINAL FOR TOUCHDOWN. HE THEN ALIGNED THE AIRCRAFT WITH THE LANDING DIRECTION USING LEFT RUDDER APPLICATION AND CORRECTED FOR DRIFT USING RIGHT AILERON APPLICATION. UPON RUNWAY TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRCRAFT VEERED TO THE LEFT AND EXITED RUNWAY 06 BY TEN (10) FEET. THE AIRCRAFT CAME IN CONTACT WITH AN ELEVATED RUNWAY LIGHT, RESULTING IN MINOR DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING STRUT AND LEFT LANDING GEAR STRUT FAIRING.