- Date
- August 3, 2012, 16:50 local (21:50 UTC)
- Place
- Leesville, LA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N989BTCessna 172R
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR go-around: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 26, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA - Baton Rouge FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120803016809A
- Case key
- 84598
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 properly re-configure the airplane for a go-around, which resulted in a runway excursion when he decided to land on the remaining runway.
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 student pilot was returning from a solo cross-country flight. He stated that during the final approach to land, with the airplane configured with full flaps, he thought that the airplane was not descending as expected, the speed was higher than normal, and that he would land too far down the runway. The student pilot elected to execute a go-around and applied full power but did not retract the flaps. He stated that the airplane was not climbing and that he decided to land on the remaining runway because he didn't think he would clear the trees at the end of the runway. The airplane subsequently departed the end of the runway, struck a ditch, and flipped over. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane sustained damage to both wings, the fuselage, and the vertical tail.
Factual narrative
The student pilot was returning from a solo cross-country flight. He stated that during the final approach to land, with the airplane configured with full flaps, he felt that the airplane was not descending as expected, the speed was higher than normal, and that he would land too far down the runway. The student pilot elected to execute a go-around and applied full power but did not retract the flaps. He stated that the airplane was not climbing and he decided to land on the remaining runway because he didn't think he would clear the trees at the end of the runway. The airplane subsequently went off the end of the runway and struck a ditch and flipped over. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane. The airplane sustained damage to both wings, the fuselage, and the vertical tail.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N989BT
- Reported as
- Cessna 172R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17280463
- Airframe hours
- 3,174
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- F17 · Center, TX
- Destination
- L39 · Leesville, LA
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- L39 · Leesville Airport, runway 36, 3,807 × 75 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
- 35
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 63 total · 63 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 93 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.88 inHg
- Observed at
- POE, 18 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 12, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 294 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.