- Date
- July 6, 1998, 07:55 local (12:55 UTC)
- Place
- Olive Branch, MS
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N739ZACessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 8, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980706015989A
- Case key
- 4008
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
the student pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during takeoff.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
According to the student pilot, on the eighth departure from runway 18, the plane began to drift to the left. He applied right rudder to correct but the airplane continued to drift to the left. According to the FAA, the student pilot was conducting his second supervised solo flight, when he departed the left side of runway 18 on takeoff, and substantially damaged the airplane after impacting a ditch and small trees.
Factual narrative
On July 6, 1998, about 0755 central daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N739ZA, collided with a ditch and trees during takeoff from the Olive Branch Airport, Olive Branch, Mississippi. The local flight was operated by Douglas Aviation, Inc., under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91, and visual flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the instructional, solo flight. There were no injuries to the student pilot, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The local flight originated from the same airport about 0725.
According to the pilot, he had completed 7 touch and go landings, the first three with the flight instructor, and the last four solo. On the eighth departure from runway 18, the airplane veered left and departed the runway. Recovery attempts by the student were unsuccessful. The nose wheel contacted a ditch and the airplane nosed over.
According to the FAA, the student pilot was conducting his second supervised solo flight, when he departed the left side of runway 18 on takeoff, and substantially damaged the airplane after impacting a ditch and small trees.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N739ZA
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17270926
- Airframe hours
- 3,397
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Douglas Aviation, Inc
- Registered owner
- Wings Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 1, 1998 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- OLV · MS
- Airport
- OLV · Olive Branch, runway 18, 6,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 50
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 31 total · 31 in this make and model · 1 as pilot in command · 17 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MEN, 10 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N739ZA · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.