# NTSB CEN23LA154: Cessna 172M, N1221U, Terrell, TX, April 11, 2023 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: April 11, 2023, 16:12 local (21:12 UTC) - Place: Terrell, TX - Coordinates: 32.709628, -96.267109 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.7096&lon=-96.2671&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing: Loss of control on ground](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - 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 - NTSB case key (mKey): 107050 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN23LA154 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/107050/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=107050 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23LA154 ## Probable cause The student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing and the flight instructor’s delayed remedial response. ## 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 172M, 123 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=2072418), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/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 172M, 59 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md?model=2072418), [All aircraft, 3,958 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md) - [Action: delayed action](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041025): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Instructor/check pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172M, 20 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041025/cases.md?model=2072418), [All aircraft, 894 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041025/cases.md) - [Attention/monitoring: monitoring other person](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021535): Personnel issues › Psychological · Instructor/check pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172M, 5 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021535/cases.md?model=2072418), [All aircraft, 200 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021535/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing: Loss of control on ground](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 172M, 61 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md?model=2072418), [All aircraft, 4,585 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md) - [Landing: Runway excursion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300); cases with it: [Cessna 172M, 51 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md?model=2072418), [All aircraft, 3,643 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md) - [Landing: Nose over/nose down](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096); cases with it: [Cessna 172M, 33 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096/sequence.md?model=2072418), [All aircraft, 2,287 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096/sequence.md) ## Analysis The flight instructor reported that the student pilot was landing the airplane with a left crosswind. On touchdown, the airplane bounced, pitched up, and drifted toward the right side of the runway. The flight instructor told the student pilot to go around and then attempted to take control of the airplane. The airplane touched down in the grass, nosed over and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the forward fuselage, vertical stabilizer and rudder, and right wing strut. At the time of the accident, the airplane was landing on runway 18 with wind 100o at 7 knots. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N1221U](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N1221U), registered now, S/N 17266918, built 1976 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 172M - Registry model: [Cessna 172M](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172m) (registry code 2072418) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (registry code 41508, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 17266918 - Year built: 1976 - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Destination: Same as departure - Airport: TRL, Terrell municipal Airport, runway 18, 5,006 × 75 ft, asphalt - Equipment: Unknown ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Student pilot; age 34; student; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: unknown; seat: left; flight hours: 26.9 total, 17.4 in this make and model - Flight instructor; age 29; injuries: none; flight instructor; airplane ratings: single-engine land; seat: right; flight hours: 719 total, 523.3 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 100° at 7 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 73 °F, dew point 32 °F - Altimeter: 30.21 inHg - Observed at: KTRL, 0.5 nm away ## 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 20230411011059A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230411011059A), Apr 11, 2023: Cessna 172M, Terrel, TX, Substantial damage. This was a training flight, there was a crosswind, so the nose was crabbed into the wind during landing. When aircraft crossed the threshold, the student pilot… ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 29, 2023, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=107050. 2.2 MB in all. - Instructor pilot's statement (item 1, PDF, 1 page, 14 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15552814&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Instructor%20Pilot%20Statement_Najera-Rel.pdf - Student pilot's statement (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 18 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15552898&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Student%20Pilot%20Statement_Garrett-Rel.pdf - Weather information (item 3, PDF, 2 pages, 60 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15553819&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Weather%20Information-Rel.pdf - Photographs (item 4, PDF, 3 pages, 2.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15553829&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=CEN23LA154%20Photos-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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.