- Date
- August 1, 2012, 00:15 local (05:15 UTC)
- Place
- Oshkosh, WI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N462TRCessna 172S
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report February 12, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO Milwaukee
- FAA report
- 20120801016209A
- Case key
- 84557
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 flight instructor’s loss of directional control during landing, which resulted in a collision with a runway light.
Findings · 3
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 airplane was on final approach to land after the completion of a local night instructional flight. The flight instructor was to demonstrate the proper pitch attitude and sight picture needed for a landing at night. On short final, just before touchdown, the airplane drifted off of the runway centerline to the left. Upon touchdown the airplane was still moving toward the left side of the runway. The instructor stated that with the low energy state of the airplane there was not enough room to perform a go-around safely. The airplane then exited the runway as he applied flight control inputs to correct back to the centerline. Upon exiting the runway, the airplane impacted a runway light on the lower portion of the right wing strut attach point, resulting in structural damage to the strut. The instructor reported that the accident could have been prevented if positive control was maintained during the landing phase of the flight.
Factual narrative
The airplane was on final approach to land after the completion of a local night instructional flight. The flight instructor was to demonstrate the proper pitch attitude and sight picture needed for a landing at night. On short final, just before touchdown, the airplane drifted off of the runway center line to the left. Upon touchdown the airplane was still moving toward the left side of the runway. The instructor pilot stated that with the low energy state of the airplane there was not enough room to perform a go around safely. The airplane then exited the runway as flight control inputs were applied to correct back to centerline. Upon exiting the runway, the airplane impacted a runway light on the lower portion of the right wing strut attach point, resulting in structural damage to the strut. The instructor pilot reported that the accident could have been prevented if positive control was maintained during the landing phase of the flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N462TR
- Reported as
- Cessna 172S
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S9462
- Airframe hours
- 3,210
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Fox Valley Technical College
- Registered owner
- Christiansen Aviation Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 2, 2012
- Departed
- OSH · Oshkosh, WI
- Destination
- OSH · Oshkosh, WI
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- OSH · Wittman Regioanl Airport, runway 18, 8,002 × 150 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 31
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 31, 2012
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 744 total · 580 in this make and model · 692 as pilot in command · 149 in the last 90 days · 44 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 30
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 46 total · 46 in this make and model · 10 as pilot in command · 46 in the last 90 days · 23 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 170° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- OSH
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 18, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.5 MB 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.