# NTSB CHI00LA081: Cessna 172R, N922TA, Waterford, MI, February 21, 2000 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: February 21, 2000, 13:14 local (18:14 UTC) - Place: Waterford, MI - Coordinates: 42.639572, -83.409637 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.6396&lon=-83.4096&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report March 2, 2001 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 48754 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI00LA081 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/48754/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI00LA081 ## Probable cause the directional control not obtained/maintained by the dual student and the remedial action not performed by the certified flight instructor. Contributing factors were the crosswind and the snow bank. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - on ground/water, landing - weather condition - crosswind (contributing factor) - directional control - not obtained/maintained, dual student (cause) - weather condition - snow (contributing factor) - remedial action - not performed, pilot in command(cfi) (cause) ## Analysis The airplane veered off the runway and impacted a snow bank during an instructional flight. A crosswind was present during the landing. Examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies. ## Factual narrative On February 21, 2000, at 1314 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172R, N922TA, operated by Tradewinds Aviation, was substantially damaged during landing on runway 27 (5,000 feet by 100 feet, dry asphalt) at the Pontiac Oakland County International Airport (PTK), Waterford, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight was not operating on a flight plan. The certified flight instructor and student pilot reported no injuries. The local flight departed PTK at 1230. The certified flight instructor reported the following in a written statement, "During the landing phase on 27R, the approach was a little high and fast (about 70 kts or so) with 20 degrees of flaps. During the flare right rudder was applied to compensate for the left crosswind. Our main gear touched down first and the landing seemed to be normal. When the nose gear touched down the a/c suddenly turned sharply to the left. The a/c veered off the runway to the left and hit a snow embankment. This is when the a/c nose pitched forward and the prop struck the ground. Then the right wind hit the ground next. The a/c pivoted on the nose and wing about 100-150 degrees to the right. After this the a/c settled and rested on the landing gear facing north." The student pilot reported the following in a written statement, "At the approach to runway 27R at about 70 knots, with flaps at 20 degrees, just above the runway, and correcting for crosswind 220 degrees. We were a little too high at the flare, but had a relative smooth touch of the main gear. The front wheel was still up at about 50 knots. As the airplane slowed down and the front wheel touched down, the airplane swayed to the left, and out of control, regardless [of] the efforts to correct with right rudder. Unfortunately we ran into deep snow that caused the nose to tilt down, off the runway, and hit the right wing into the ground." The rod end for the nose landing was found fractured. According to National Transportation Safety Board's Material Laboratory examination of the rod end, "...Examination with the aid of a binocular microscope revealed that the entire fracture surface had rough irregular features with no indication of progressive (fatigue) cracking...Rough features on the fracture face and bending deformation of the fracture end were indicative of overstress separation." Examination of the airplane by the Federal Aviation Administration revealed no anomalies. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N922TA](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N922TA), registered now, S/N 17280249, built 1997 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 172R - Registry model: [Cessna 172R](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172r) (registry code 2072401) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming I0360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-series) (registry code 41515, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 17280249 - Airframe hours: 1012 - Engines: Lycoming IO-360-F1A6 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Operator: Tradewinds Aviation - Registered owner: Nini Corporation - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, December 8, 1999, 70 hours before - Departed: PTK, WATERFORD, MI - Airport: PTK, Pontiac Oakland, runway 27R, 5,000 × 100 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 24; flight instructor, commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: right; flight hours: 362 total, 94 in this make and model, 262 as pilot in command, 51 in the last 90 days, 32 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 200° at 9 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 25,000 ft broken - Temperature: 43 °F, dew point 21 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: PTK ## 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 20000221041439A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000221041439A), Feb 21, 2000: Cessna 172R, Waterford, MI, No damage. (.19) On February 21, 2000, at 1314 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172R, N922TA, operated by tradewinds aviation, was substantially damaged during landing on… 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.