- Date
- January 5, 2016, 12:35 local (18:35 UTC)
- Place
- Sulfur Springs, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N72AFCessna 172R
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 16, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20160105003129A
- Case key
- 92620
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 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 was landing at the destination airport after conducting a cross-country solo flight. He reported that, during the touchdown, he lost directional control of the airplane. The airplane crossed over a grass strip onto a taxiway, crossed the taxiway, and impacted a ditch. The nosewheel got stuck in the ditch, and the airplane nosed over, which resulted in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and rudder, left wing strut, cowling, firewall, and engine mount. The nose landing gear was separated at the firewall. An examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies with the flight controls, engine, or other airplane systems. Calm wind existed at the time of the accident.
Factual narrative
On January 5, 2016 about 1235 Central Standard Time, a Cessna 172R, N72AF, impacted terrain while attempting to land at the Sulfur Springs Municipal Airport (SLR), Sulfur Springs, Texas. The solo student pilot on board was not injured and the airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was owned and operated by American Flyers of California, Incorporated, a 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the cross country flight that was operating on a visual flight rules flight plan. The flight originated at Dallas, Texas, at 1150. The student pilot reported he was landing at SLR when during touchdown, he lost control of the airplane. The airplane crossed over a grass strip onto a taxiway, crossed the taxiway and impacted in a ditch. The nose wheel stuck in the ditch and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and rudder, left wing strut, cowling, firewall and engine mount. The nose gear was separated at the firewall. An examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies to the flight controls, engine or other airplane systems. At 1235, the reported weather conditions at SLR were wind calm, clear skies, visibility 10 statute miles, temperature 5 degrees Celsius (C), dew point -2 degrees C, and altimeter 30.37 inches of Mercury.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N72AF
- Reported as
- Cessna 172R (R)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17280070
- Built
- 1997
- Airframe hours
- 14,739
- Engine
- Lycoming I0360 SER A&C, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Ameriflyers Of California Inc
- Registered owner
- Ameriflyers Of California Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 28, 2015
- Departed
- ADS · Addison, TX
- Destination
- SLR · Sulfur Springs, TX
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- SLR · Sulphur Springs, runway 19, 5,001 × 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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 25
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 148 total · 148 in this make and model · 42 in the last 90 days · 42 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 41 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.37 inHg
- Observed at
- SLR, 5 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 17, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 946 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.
Other investigations on N72AF · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.