- Date
- November 2, 2012, 08:30 local (13:30 UTC)
- Place
- McKinney, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N172FUCessna 172S
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 27, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA -- Dallas Flight Standards
- FAA report
- 20121102028539A
- Case key
- 85493
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 loss of directional control during landing.
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 reported that he was conducting a solo flight in the airport traffic pattern at the time of the accident. He stated that the airplane made a "soft landing on [the] main wheels." However, once the nose landing gear touched down, the airplane "darted" to the left. His attempts to maintain control were unsuccessful, and the airplane departed the runway pavement. A postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies related to the nosewheel steering or main wheel brakes. The recorded wind was calm about the time of the accident.
Factual narrative
The student pilot reported that he was conducting a solo instructional flight in the airport traffic pattern at the time of the accident. He stated that it was a "soft landing on [the] main wheels." However, once the nose landing gear touched down the airplane "darted" to the left. His attempts to maintain control were unsuccessful and the airplane departed the runway pavement. A postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies related to the nose wheel steering or main wheel brakes. The recorded wind was calm about the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N172FU
- Reported as
- Cessna 172S
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S10182
- Airframe hours
- 1,849
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Flight Training Aircraft Inc.
- Registered owner
- Flight Training Aircraft Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 30, 2012
- Departed
- TKI · McKinney, TX
- Destination
- TKI · McKinney, TX
- Airport
- TKI · Collin County Regional, runway 18, 7,002 × 150 ft, concrete
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 22
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 2, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 25 total · 25 in this make and model · 1 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 25 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
- 57 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
- Observed at
- TKI, 1 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 31, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 449 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.