What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On December 5, 2023 at approximately 15:02 local time, a Cessna 172 sustained substantial damage following a loss of control while conducting a go-around in Social Circle, GA. There were two occupants onboard the airplane, no injuries were reported. The flight was being conducted as a private pilot practical test and operated under FAR part 91 in visual meterological conditions. Note: as the flight was a practical test the student pilot was the PIC. According to statements from the designate pilot examiner (DPE) and student pilot: a simulated engine failure was initiated by the DPE at approximately 4000' MSL. The applicant selected a grass runway as the intended emergency landing area and initiated a gliding approach. The applicant crossed the grass runway at mid-field and proceeded to join downwind, base, and final. 10 degrees of flaps were selected during the approach. Once landing was assured (100-200' AGL), the DPE ended the simulated emergency and instructed the applicant to go around. The applicant initiated a go around as instructed. The DPE noticed the airplane was still descending despite the applicant's control inputs. The DPE took control of the airplane, verified the power lever was full forward, and attempted to arrest the descent. Both DPE and applicant reported a gust of wind from the left shortly after initiating the go around.- attempts to arrest the descent were unsuccessful. The horizontal stabilizer impacted a wooden fence post approximately 50 yards prior to the runway threshold and approximately 40 yards to the right of the extended runway centerline. The airplane came to rest on a commercial tree farm, approximately 115 yards right of the runway. The initial impact caused substantial damage to the left horizontal stabilizer and left elevator. Visible buckling was noted on the fuselage forward of the right horizontal stabilizer. Multiple dents and minor damage from impact with small trees and shrubs during deceleration was noted on the leading edge of both wings and lower portion of the fuselage. The private pilot rated property owner witnessed the approach but lost sight of the airplane before initial impact. The witness stated that he saw the airplane clear the trees on final and noticed the "wings bobble" and that the airplane "looked slow". The witness also stated the the engine sounded "strong" and seemed to be making full power. The METAR data from three nearby airports at the time of the accident were reported as: kahn- 28009G18KT, kcvc- 27007KT, D73- 29008G16KT. The applicant received a weather briefing prior to the flight using the foreflight app.
As the FAA filed it
ON DECEMBER 5, 2023 AT APPROXIMATELY 15:02 LOCAL TIME, A CESSNA 172 SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL WHILE CONDUCTING A GO-AROUND IN SOCIAL CIRCLE, GA. THERE WERE TWO OCCUPANTS ONBOARD THE AIRPLANE, NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED AS A PRIVATE PILOT PRACTICAL TEST AND OPERATED UNDER FAR PART 91 IN VISUAL METEROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. NOTE: AS THE FLIGHT WAS A PRACTICAL TEST THE STUDENT PILOT WAS THE PIC. ACCORDING TO STATEMENTS FROM THE DESIGNATE PILOT EXAMINER (DPE) AND STUDENT PILOT: A SIMULATED ENGINE FAILURE WAS INITIATED BY THE DPE AT APPROXIMATELY 4000' MSL. THE APPLICANT SELECTED A GRASS RUNWAY AS THE INTENDED EMERGENCY LANDING AREA AND INITIATED A GLIDING APPROACH. THE APPLICANT CROSSED THE GRASS RUNWAY AT MID-FIELD AND PROCEEDED TO JOIN DOWNWIND, BASE, AND FINAL. 10 DEGREES OF FLAPS WERE SELECTED DURING THE APPROACH. ONCE LANDING WAS ASSURED (100-200' AGL), THE DPE ENDED THE SIMULATED EMERGENCY AND INSTRUCTED THE APPLICANT TO GO AROUND. THE APPLICANT INITIATED A GO AROUND AS INSTRUCTED. THE DPE NOTICED THE AIRPLANE WAS STILL DESCENDING DESPITE THE APPLICANT'S CONTROL INPUTS. THE DPE TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE, VERIFIED THE POWER LEVER WAS FULL FORWARD, AND ATTEMPTED TO ARREST THE DESCENT. BOTH DPE AND APPLICANT REPORTED A GUST OF WIND FROM THE LEFT SHORTLY AFTER INITIATING THE GO AROUND.- ATTEMPTS TO ARREST THE DESCENT WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER IMPACTED A WOODEN FENCE POST APPROXIMATELY 50 YARDS PRIOR TO THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD AND APPROXIMATELY 40 YARDS TO THE RIGHT OF THE EXTENDED RUNWAY CENTERLINE. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST ON A COMMERCIAL TREE FARM, APPROXIMATELY 115 YARDS RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY. THE INITIAL IMPACT CAUSED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND LEFT ELEVATOR. VISIBLE BUCKLING WAS NOTED ON THE FUSELAGE FORWARD OF THE RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. MULTIPLE DENTS AND MINOR DAMAGE FROM IMPACT WITH SMALL TREES AND SHRUBS DURING DECELERATION WAS NOTED ON THE LEADING EDGE OF BOTH WINGS AND LOWER PORTION OF THE FUSELAGE. THE PRIVATE PILOT RATED PROPERTY OWNER WITNESSED THE APPROACH BUT LOST SIGHT OF THE AIRPLANE BEFORE INITIAL IMPACT. THE WITNESS STATED THAT HE SAW THE AIRPLANE CLEAR THE TREES ON FINAL AND NOTICED THE "WINGS BOBBLE" AND THAT THE AIRPLANE "LOOKED SLOW". THE WITNESS ALSO STATED THE THE ENGINE SOUNDED "STRONG" AND SEEMED TO BE MAKING FULL POWER. THE METAR DATA FROM THREE NEARBY AIRPORTS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE REPORTED AS: KAHN- 28009G18KT, KCVC- 27007KT, D73- 29008G16KT. THE APPLICANT RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEFING PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT USING THE FOREFLIGHT APP.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.