# NTSB CEN22LA179: Cessna 172N, N711DA, Englewood, CO, April 19, 2022

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report
- Date: April 19, 2022, 11:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place: Englewood, CO
- Coordinates: 39.56, -104.85033 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.5600&lon=-104.8503&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Landing: Runway excursion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 2 uninjured
- Status: Completed
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class: Class 3
- NTSB office: Central Region
- Parties: FAA FSDO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 104970
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN22LA179
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/104970/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=104970
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN22LA179

## Probable cause

The flight instructor’s inadequate supervision of the student pilot and the student pilot’s loss of directional control during landing, which resulted in a runway excursion.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Student/instructed pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172N, 150 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=2072434), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md)
- [Action: delayed action](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041025): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Instructor/check pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172N, 19 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041025/cases.md?model=2072434), [All aircraft, 894 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041025/cases.md)
- [Performance/control parameters: directional control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172N, 82 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md?model=2072434), [All aircraft, 3,958 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Landing: Runway excursion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 172N, 81 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md?model=2072434), [All aircraft, 3,643 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md)

## Analysis

The flight instructor reported that during landing, the student pilot was the pilot flying. The airplane touched down and immediately veered to the right. The student pilot attempted to correct with left rudder, but the airplane continued to veer to the right. The flight instructor then took the controls and stated she heard a “rumbling noise” coming from the nose wheel area of the airplane. The airplane exited the right side of the runway and impacted a taxiway sign coming to a rest in a ditch. The nosewheel strut, right main landing gear and horizontal stabilizer were substantially damaged. A postaccident visual examination of the brakes, nosewheel steering, and flight controls revealed no abnormalities or defects that would have precluded normal operation.

## Factual narrative

On April 19, 2022, about 1130 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 172N airplane, N711DA, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Centennial, Colorado. The flight instructor and student pilot were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The flight instructor stated that she and the student pilot were cleared for a straight-in approach to runway 28 at Centennial Airport (APA), Centennial, Colorado, after having practiced several maneuvers. The student pilot landed the airplane on the runway under her supervision. After touchdown, the airplane began veering right of the centerline as its speed began to slow. The student pilot attempted to apply left rudder input to counter the veer to the right, but the airplane continued to veer to the right. The flight instructor then took control of the airplane and applied left rudder and the brakes, but the right veering continued. The flight instructor reported hearing a rumbling noise from the nosewheel at this point and added back pressure to keep the nose off the ground. The airplane’s nosewheel then hit a taxiway sign before the airplane came to rest in a ditch. A postaccident visual examination of the brakes, nosewheel steering, and flight controls revealed no abnormalities or defects that would have precluded normal operation.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N711DA](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N711DA-2023-11-27), registration cancelled 2023-11-27, S/N 17268365, built 1976 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172N
- Registry model: [Cessna 172N](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172n) (registry code 2072434) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-360-A1D](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-360-a1d) (registry code 41504, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 17268365
- Year built: 1976
- Airframe hours: 10120
- Engines: Lycoming O-360-A4M 180 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Instructional, Part 91
- Operator: Aspen Flying Club
- Registered owner: Aircraft Solutions Group LLC
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Annual, March 26, 2022
- Departed: APA, Centennial, CO
- Destination: APA, Centennial, CO
- Airport: KAPA, Centennial Airport, runway 28, 4,800 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment: ADS-B, Stall warning system

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Flight instructor; age 37; injuries: none; flight instructor, commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; last flight review August 3, 2021; seat: rear; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 650 total, 279 in this make and model, 491 as pilot in command, 25 in the last 90 days, 12 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours
- Student pilot; age 19; injuries: none; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 19 total, 16 in this make and model, 0 as pilot in command, 12 in the last 90 days, 7 in the last 30 days, 0 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 220° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 66 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter: 29.76 inHg
- Observed at: KAPA
- METAR: KAPA 191553Z 22015KT 10SM FEW130 SCT200 19/M06 A2976 RMK AO2 SLP031 T01891061

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20220419005599A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20220419005599A), Apr 19, 2022: Cessna 172N, Englewood, CO, Substantial damage. Aircraft departed runway 28 and impacted a ditch. There were no injuries. Upon arrival aircraft was facing north with the right wing and RH horizontal stab…

## Other investigations on N711DA (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB IAD05LA043](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD05LA043), Mar 10, 2005: Cessna 172N (N711DA), Frederick, MD, substantial damage. Probable cause: The inadequate visual lookout of the pilots in each airplane, which resulted in a ground collision.

## Docket (4 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 23, 2022, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=104970. 16.9 MB in all.

- Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 9 pages, 15.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13826747&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Signed%20N711DA%20NTSB%20_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Photos (item 2, PDF, 2 pages, 1.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14021321&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Pictures%20for%20docket-Rel.pdf
- FAA inspector's statement (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 148 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14021659&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=FAA%20N711DA_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Exam summary (item 4, PDF, 1 page, 137 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14020545&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Examination%20Summary%20--%20CEN22LA179%20(003)-Rel.pdf

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

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