- Date
- February 19, 2023, 09:10 local (15:10 UTC)
- Place
- Moline, IL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N84688Cessna 172K
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: 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
- FAA - Greater Chicago FSDO
- FAA report
- 20230219002889A
- Case key
- 106749
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 the landing roll in gusting crosswind conditions.
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.
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 solo student pilot stated he was in the practice area and made the decision to return to the departure airport due to increasing winds. The pilot reported that on the landing rollout he felt a “large gust of wind” elevate the left wing making the airplane veer to the right. The pilot attempted to “pull back and brake.” The airplane exited the runway, and the left main wheel and strut impacted a runway sign which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. A wind limitation in the flight school pre-solo packet states surface winds must be “less than 15 knot winds” and “less than 7 knot crosswind component.” The flight instructor did not list any limitations on the student’s initial solo endorsement. Five minutes before the accident, surface winds were reported from 230° at 17 knots, gusting to 26 knots. The student pilot was landing on runway 27. Runway 23 was closed at the time of the accident. According to the owner of the flight school, the student did not check in with her before launching to discuss weather and his flight plan as he was supposed to.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N84688
- Reported as
- Cessna 172K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17258578
- Built
- 1969
- Airframe hours
- 44,781.8
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320E2D, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Quad Cities Aero, LLC
- Registered owner
- Quad Cities Aero, LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 9, 2023
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- MLI · Quad Cities Intl, runway 27, 10,002 × 150 ft, concrete
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Stall warning system
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
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 93.7 total · 34.1 in this make and model · 9 as pilot in command · 17 in the last 90 days · 8.2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 17 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.83 inHg
- Observed at
- KMLI, 1 nm away
- METAR
- KMLI 191505Z AUTO 23017G26KT 10SM CLR 07/M02 A2983 RMK T00701020
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 6, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.7 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.