- Date
- June 6, 2013, 19:15 local (23:15 UTC)
- Place
- Pontiac, MI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N549TTCessna 172P
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 23, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20130606010719A
- Case key
- 87144
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 aircraft control during the takeoff and his interference with the flight instructor's ability to provide remedial action.
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 flight instructor and student pilot were practicing a soft field takeoff procedure. During the takeoff roll, the airplane began a yaw to the right. The airplane continued to the right after the main landing gear wheels departed the runway, and the flight instructor told the student to correct back to the center of the runway. The airplane then yawed to the left past runway heading and the pitch attitude increased. The flight instructor attempted to take control of the airplane; however, the student did not let go of the controls. The flight instructor tried to reduce the pitch attitude, but the airplane stalled and impacted terrain adjacent to the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The flight instructor reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor and student pilot were practicing a soft field takeoff procedure. During the takeoff roll, the airplane began a yaw to the right. The airplane continued to the right after the main landing gear wheels departed the runway, and the flight instructor told the student to correct back to the center of the runway. The airplane then yawed to the left past runway heading and the pitch attitude increased. The flight instructor attempted to take control of the airplane; however, the student did not let go of the controls. The flight instructor tried to reduce the pitch attitude, but the airplane stalled and impacted terrain adjacent to the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The flight instructor reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N549TT
- Reported as
- Cessna 172P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17276540
- Airframe hours
- 15,258
- Engine
- Lycoming 0-320-D2J, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 30, 2013 · 18 hours before
- Departed
- PTK · Pontiac, MI
- Destination
- PTK · Pontiac, MI
- Airport
- PTK · Oakland County International, runway 09L, 5,676 × 100 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
- 68
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 16, 2012
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 4,638 total · 918 in this make and model · 3,143 as pilot in command · 34 in the last 90 days · 34 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 86 total · 86 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 13,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 50 °F
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 26, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 700 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.