- Date
- September 27, 2010, 19:15 local (Sep 28, 2010, 00:15 UTC)
- Place
- Belle Plaine, MN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9659QCessna 172M
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 16, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20100927045949A
- Case key
- 77450
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 pilot's loss of directional control due to an encounter with soft terrain while landing.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
During landing, the airplane's landing gear contacted soft terrain and the airplane veered to the left. Despite the pilot's attempts to correct for the sudden change in direction, the airplane continued into an adjacent corn field and nosed over. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the right wing was bent aft and twisted. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical problems with the airplane.
Factual narrative
During landing on runway 26 (2,000 feet long by 50 feet wide, turf), the landing gear contacted soft terrain and the airplane pulled to the left. The pilot attempted to correct; however, the airplane continued into an adjacent corn field and nosed over. Examination of the airplane revealed the right wing was bent aft and twisted. The pilot reported no mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9659Q
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17265743
- Airframe hours
- 1,093
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Nagel Gerald H
- Registered owner
- Nagel Gerald H
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 11, 2010
- Departed
- Woseod, MN
- Destination
- 7Y7 · Belle Plaine, MN
- Airport
- PVT · Pvt, runway 26, 2,000 × 50 ft, grass/turf
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
- 72
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 16, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 389 total · 326 in this make and model · 389 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 22, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 400 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.