CEN18CA323

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 172 · Greeley, CO · August 9, 2018

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
August 8, 2018, 20:00 local (Aug 9, 2018, 02:00 UTC)
Place
Greeley, CO
Injuries
2 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Approach
Aircraft
N20JACessna 172
Defining event
Approach-VFR go-around: Loss of control in flight
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report March 18, 2019
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Central Region
Parties
FAA
FAA report
20180808015129A
Case key
98025

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The pilot’s and safety pilot's conflicting control inputs during landing, which resulted in their failure to maintain a proper airspeed and resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the lack of communication between the pilot and safety pilot during the landing and go-around.

Findings · 6

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.

Communication (personnel): lack of communicationPersonnel issues › Task performance · Flight crewCessna 172R: 1 caseAll aircraft: 84 casesProbable cause
Communication (personnel): lack of communicationPersonnel issues › Task performance · PilotCessna 172R: 1 caseAll aircraft: 84 casesProbable cause
Performance/control parameters: airspeedAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedCessna 172R: 7 casesAll aircraft: 1,681 casesProbable cause
Use of equip/info: use of equip/systemPersonnel issues › Task performance · PilotCessna 172R: 6 casesAll aircraft: 1,391 casesProbable cause
Use of equip/info: use of equip/systemPersonnel issues › Task performance · OtherCessna 172R: 6 casesAll aircraft: 1,391 casesProbable cause
Communication (personnel): lack of communicationPersonnel issues › Task performance · OtherCessna 172R: 1 caseAll aircraft: 84 casesProbable cause

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 pilot and a safety pilot were practicing instrument maneuvers, approaches, and landings at different airports during the flight. The airplane entered the traffic pattern for a practice landing at an airport. According to the safety pilot, the airplane was high and slow during the final approach. About 10 ft above ground level, the airplane "floated a little longer," and the pilot initiated a go-around by applying full throttle. During the attempted go-around, both occupants applied conflicting "correction" inputs to the control yokes; the pilot applied back pressure, and the safety pilot applied forward pressure. The airplane stalled, the left wing impacted terrain, and the airplane came to rest upright adjacent to the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the forward fuselage and both wings. Both pilots reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot statements were conflicting regarding the accident details and sequence of events. Based on the statements and airplane damage, it is likely that the conflicting control inputs resulted in the pilots' failure to maintain a proper airspeed and that the airplane entered an aerodynamic stall during the attempted go-around. Neither pilot reported that verbal communication was established during the landing sequence.

Factual narrative

The pilot and a safety pilot were practicing instrument maneuvers, approaches, and landings at different airports during the flight. The airplane entered the traffic pattern for a practice landing at an airport. According to the safety pilot, the airplane was high and slow during the final approach. About 10 ft above ground level, the airplane "floated a little longer", and the pilot initiated a go-around by applying full throttle. During the attempted go-around, both occupants applied conflicting "correction" inputs to the control yokes; the pilot applied back pressure, and the safety pilot applied forward pressure. The airplane stalled, the left wing contacted the terrain, and the airplane came to rest upright adjacent to the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the forward fuselage and both wings. Both pilots reported there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot statements were conflicting regarding the accident details and sequence of events. Based on the statements and airplane damage, it is likely that proper airspeed was not maintained, and the airplane entered an aerodynamic stall during the attempted go-around. Neither pilot reported that verbal communication was established during the landing sequence.

Aircraft

Registration
N20JA
Reported as
Cessna 172 (R)
Category
Airplane
Serial number
17280253
Built
1997
Airframe hours
8,765.4
Engine
Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
100 hour · June 30, 2018 · 46 hours before
Departed
FMM · Fort Morgan, CO
Destination
GXY · Greeley, CO
Airport
GXY · Greeley-Weld County Airport, runway 17, 10,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
Equipment
ADS-B, Stall warning system, Angle of attack indicator, Auto-pilot, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Onboard weather, Electronic primary flight display

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
Pilot
Age
25
Injuries
None
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 1, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
December 3, 2017
Seat
Left
Restraint
3-point
Flight hours
164 total · 161 in this make and model · 114 as pilot in command · 67 in the last 90 days · 21 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Role
Pilot-rated passenger
Age
21
Injuries
None
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
Last flight review
August 16, 2017
Seat
Right
Restraint
3-point
Flight hours
240 total · 207 in this make and model · 197 as pilot in command · 64 in the last 90 days · 35 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
130° at 5 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
75 °F, dew point 48 °F
Altimeter
30.18 inHg
Observed at
GXY

Docket · 2

The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 27, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.5 MB 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.