- Date
- December 17, 2023, 10:46 local (16:46 UTC)
- Place
- Stephenville, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4501ECessna 172N
- 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/Federal Aviation North Texas FSDO
- FAA report
- 20231217021639A
- Case key
- 193565
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 pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing that resulted in an impact with terrain.
Findings · 1
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 student pilot stated that when he entered the destination airport traffic pattern for landing, there were strong wind gusts that were not on the automated weather observing system report. He said the airplane’s descent during the approach was stable, so he decided to continue the approach for landing. He said that shortly after the airplane’s nose wheel landing gear touched down on the runway, the airplane caught a strong wind gust that resulted in a weathervane effect and a sharp change in its direction to the right. He then applied left rudder control input, but the airplane veered to the right and off the runway where it impacted terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot stated there was no preaccident failures or malfunctions the airplane that would have precluded normal operations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4501E
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17271614
- Built
- 1978
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Optima Aviation LLC DBA N4501E, doing business as Go Fly Texas
- Registered owner
- Optima Aviation LLC DBA N4501E
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 1, 2023 · 5,566.9 hours before
- Departed
- 52F · Roanoke, TX
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- SEP · Stephenville Clark Regional Airport, runway 14, 4,209 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Onboard weather, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Angle of attack indicator, ADS-B, Stall warning system, Satellite tracking device
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
- 20
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 41 total · 4 in this make and model · 2 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 90 days · 0 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 11 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- SEP
Docket · 6
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 21, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 8.9 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.