- Date
- September 4, 2013, 08:10 local (13:10 UTC)
- Place
- Council Bluff, IA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N368ESCessna 172R
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 3, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- Case key
- 87989
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 takeoff.
Findings · 1
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
According to the student pilot, the wind was 130 degrees at 6 knots and he planned on departing runway 14. During the takeoff roll the airplane drifted right, the pilot corrected the drift by using the rudder pedals. The airplane then lifted off from the runway, yawed left, and settled back on the ground. The airplane exited the right side of the runway and went through a grass median before coming to a stop. Examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the fuselage's firewall. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the student pilot, the wind was 130 degrees at 6 knots and he planned on departing runway 14. During the takeoff roll the airplane drifted right, the pilot corrected the drift by using the rudder pedals. The airplane then lifted off from the runway, yawed left, and settled back on the ground. The airplane exited the right side of the runway and went through a grass median before coming to a stop. Examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the fuselage's firewall. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N368ES
- Reported as
- Cessna 172R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17280022
- Airframe hours
- 5,745
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360 SER, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Advanced Air Inc
- Registered owner
- Advanced Air Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 30, 2013
- Departed
- KCBF · Council Bluff, IA
- Destination
- KCBF · Council Bluff, IA
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- KCBF · Council Bluffs Municipal, runway 14, 3,650 × 60 ft, concrete
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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 38
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 22.2 total · 19.2 in this make and model · 0.4 as pilot in command · 22.2 in the last 90 days · 7.9 in the last 30 days · 0.8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.13 inHg
- Observed at
- KCBF
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 18, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.3 MB in all.
Other investigations on N368ES · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.