- Date
- March 31, 2011, 15:25 local (20:25 UTC)
- Place
- Appleton, WI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N73836Cessna 172N
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 20, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20110331005829A
- Case key
- 78786
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.
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
The student pilot stated that he performed a short field takeoff. He said he accelerated the airplane to about 58 knots indicated airspeed and the airplane veered left. He reduced the power and applied right rudder to keep the airplane on the runway, but the airplane exited the runway and cartwheeled on its nose. The airplane sustained substantial damage to its fuselage and wings. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane. He said that he may have inadvertently applied left toe brake during the takeoff.
Factual narrative
The student pilot was performing a short field takeoff. He accelerated the airplane to 57 to 58 knots indicated airspeed and the airplane veered left. He "cut" the power and applied right rudder to keep the airplane on the runway. The airplane exited the runway and cartwheeled on its nose. The airplane sustained substantial damage to its fuselage and wings. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane in reference to the accident flight. He indicated that he may have inadvertently applied left toe brake during the takeoff.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N73836
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17267710
- Airframe hours
- 7,451
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Tailwind Flight Academy
- Registered owner
- Heil Aviation Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 24, 2011
- Departed
- ATW · Appleton, WI
- Destination
- ATW · Appleton, WI
- Airport
- ATW · Outagamie County Regional Arpt, runway 30, 6,501 × 150 ft, concrete
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
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 47 total · 41 in this make and model · 8 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 14 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.73 inHg
- Observed at
- ATW
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 2, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 748 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.
Other investigations on N73836 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.