- Date
- March 17, 2013, 15:18 local (20:18 UTC)
- Place
- Pontiac, MI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N7282QCessna 172L
- Defining event
- Taxi-to runway: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 18, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20130317003539A
- Case key
- 86488
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 failure to maintain airplane control after an unexplained increase in engine power while taxiing.
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 private pilot said she was taxiing her single-engine airplane to the active runway when the engine suddenly went to full power. She did not recall any related engine instrument indications and tried to reduce power by moving the throttle control to its idle position, pulling the mixture control aft, and applying the brakes. During this time, the airplane veered off the taxiway, impacted a snow bank, and nosed over, coming to rest on its back, which resulted in substantial damage to the airframe. Examination of the engine found no mechanical anomalies that would explain the sudden increase in engine power. The pilot had 2,000 feet of taxiway remaining from where the airplane departed the runway.
Factual narrative
The private pilot said she was taxing her single-engine airplane to the active runway when the engine suddenly went to full power. She did not recall any engine instrument indications and tried to reduce power by closing the throttle, pulling the mixture control, and applying the brakes. During this time, the airplane veered off the taxiway, impacted a snow bank, and flipped over on its back causing substantial damage to the airframe. Examination of the engine found no mechanical anomalies that would explain why there was a sudden increase in engine power. The pilot had 2,000 feet of taxiway remaining from where the airplane departed the runway.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7282Q
- Reported as
- Cessna 172L
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17260582
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- PTK · Pontiac, MI
- Destination
- PTK · Pontiac, MI
- Airport
- PTK · Pontiac
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
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Unknown
- Flight hours
- 620 total · 500 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 29, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 584 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.