CEN20LA425

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 172N · Spring, TX · September 29, 2020

Accident · Minor injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal report
Date
September 29, 2020, 14:00 local (19:00 UTC)
Place
Spring, TX
Injuries
1 minor
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Initial climb
Aircraft
N75634Cessna 172N
Defining event
Initial climb: Loss of control in flight
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed
Report
Approved by Office Director
Investigation class
Class 3
NTSB office
Central Region
Parties
Federal Aviation Administration; HOU FSDO
FAA report
20200929016549A
Case key
102057

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 airplane control during climb and subsequent impact with terrain.

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.

Action: incorrect action performancePersonnel issues › Action/decision · PilotCessna 172N: 29 casesAll aircraft: 1,386 casesProbable cause
Performance/control parametersAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedCessna 172N: 7 casesAll aircraft: 1,269 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 student pilot and his flight instructor completed three touch-and-go landings before the student pilot departed on a solo flight. The student performed two uneventful full-stop landings. He reported that on the third takeoff, after reaching an altitude of 100 – 200 ft above ground level, the airplane yawed and rolled to the left. He was unable to maintain control of the airplane and subsequently performed a forced landing on a baseball field. The airplane contacted a drainage ditch, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. Postaccident examination of the airplane flight control system revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal airplane operation.

Factual narrative

On September 29, 2020, about 1400 central daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N75634, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Spring, Texas. The student pilot sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The student pilot and his flight instructor completed three touch-and-go landings before the student pilot departed on a solo flight. The student pilot performed two uneventful full-stop landings. The student pilot reported the airplane yawed ‘strongly’ to the left and banked left upon reaching an altitude of 100 - 200 ft above ground level on the third takeoff. He was unable to maintain control of the airplane to return to the runway and performed a forced landing on a field. The airplane hit a drainage ditch and incurred substantial damage to the fuselage. Postaccident examination of the airplane flight control system revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal airplane operation.

Aircraft

Registration
N75634
Reported as
Cessna 172N
Category
Airplane
Serial number
17267865
Built
1976
Airframe hours
10,110.8
Engine
Lycoming O-320, 160 hp, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Instructional · Part 91
Operator
United Flight Systems
Registered owner
100 Knots LLC
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
100 hour · August 21, 2020
Destination
Same as departure
Airport
DWH · David Wayne Hooks Memorial Airport
Equipment
ADS-B

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
34
Injuries
Minor
Certificate
Student
Medical
Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
Seat
Left
Restraint
3-point
Flight hours
25 total · 25 in this make and model · 1 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
20° at 11 knots, gusting 21
Visibility
10 statute miles
Temperature
79 °F, dew point 37 °F
Altimeter
30.14 inHg
Observed at
KDWH, 1 nm away
METAR
KDWH 291853Z 02011G21KT 10SM CLR 26/03 A3014 RMK AO2 SLP204 T02610028

Docket · 6

The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 11, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 124 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.