- Date
- February 12, 2021, 15:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Prairie du Sac, WI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N3477ECessna 172N
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20210212005569A
- Case key
- 102632
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, which resulted in the collision with a snowbank. Contributing to the accident was the compacted snow conditions on the runway surface.
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
During the takeoff roll, the airplane encountered compacted snow on the runway surface, and the airplane slid to the left. The pilot, a solo student, reduced the engine throttle and applied right rudder; however, the airplane continued to the left. The left main landing gear hit a snowbank on the side of the runway, the airplane spun, and the right wing hit the snowbank. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. A Notice to Airman for the airport reported the field conditions as 100% compacted snow with the conditions not monitored. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3477E
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17271563
- Built
- 1978
- Airframe hours
- 16,163.4
- Engine
- Lycoming 0-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Morey Airplane Co Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 24, 2020
- Destination
- C29 · Middleton, WI
- Airport
- 91C · Sauk-Prairie, runway 18/36, 2,936 × 60 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- Pilot
- Age
- 47
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 62 total · 62 in this make and model · 20.7 in the last 90 days · 6.1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 3 °F, dew point -8 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.46 inHg
- Observed at
- KLNR, 19 nm away
- METAR
- KLNR 122056Z AUTO 29009KT 10SM CLR M16/M22 A3046 RMK AO2 SLP330 T11561222 56009
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 N3477E · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.