# NTSB CHI01LA060: Cessna 172S, N727SP, Sioux Falls, SD, January 4, 2001 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: January 4, 2001, 10:46 local (16:46 UTC) - Place: Sioux Falls, SD - Location: 43.5820° N, 96.7419° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at JOE FOSS FLD (FSD), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.5820&lon=-96.7419&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Takeoff](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/300) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report October 9, 2001 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA - Rapid City FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 50912 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI01LA060 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/50912/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI01LA060 ## Probable cause Aircraft directional control not being maintained by the student pilot during the takeoff roll. Factors to the accident were the snow bank and the student pilot's lack of total experience. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - on ground/water, takeoff - roll/run - lack of total experience, pilot in command (contributing factor) - directional control - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, takeoff - roll/run - terrain condition - snowbank (contributing factor) ## Analysis The student pilot lost directional control of the aircraft during a takeoff run while practicing solo touch-and-go landings. The pilot stated that after a successful landing he initiated a takeoff and, "as I added power the airplane seemed to shimmy at which time I tried to correct the plane. As I was unable to correct I powered back to idle and tried to stop which is when the plane went off the left side of the runway and hit a windrow of snow." The pilot reported, "Hitting the snow made the planes [plane's] tail lift and spin around which made the right wing hit the ground causing damage." The pilot stated that his total time in all aircraft was 24.1-hours and all hours were flown in the accident airplane make and model. The pilot reported that he had accumulated 1.4-hours of pilot-in-command time. ## Factual narrative On January 4, 2001, at 1046 central standard time, a Cessna 172S, N727SP, piloted by a student pilot, sustained substantial damage during an on-ground collision with the terrain following a loss of directional control during takeoff roll on runway 33 (6,670 feet by 150 feet, frost covered/asphalt), at the Joe Foss Field Airport, Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The solo-instructional flight was being conducted under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 and was not on a flight plan. The student pilot, the sole occupant, reported no injuries. The local flight was departing at the time of the accident. According to the pilot's written statement, he was practicing solo touch-and-go landings at the time of the accident. The pilot stated that after a successful landing he initiated a takeoff and, "as I added power the airplane seemed to shimmy at which time I tried to correct the plane. As I was unable to correct I powered back to idle and tried to stop which is when the plane went off the left side of the runway and hit a windrow of snow." The pilot reported, "Hitting the snow made the planes [plane's] tail lift and spin around which made the right wing hit the ground causing damage." The pilot reported that his total time in all aircraft was 24.1-hours and all hours were flown in the accident airplane make and model. The pilot reported that he had accumulated 1.4-hours of pilot-in-command time. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N727SP](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N727SP), registered now, S/N 172S8664, built 2000 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 172S - Registry model: [Cessna 172S](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172s) (registry code 2072439) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming I0360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-series) (registry code 41515, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 172S8664 - Airframe hours: 21 - Engines: Lycoming IO-360-L2A 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Registered owner: Daedalus Inc. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Utility - Last inspection: Annual, December 4, 2000, 19 hours before - Departed: FSD, SIOUX FALLS, SD - Destination: FSD, Sioux Falls, SD - Airport: FSD, Joe Foss Field, runway 33, 6,670 × 150 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 25; injuries: none; student; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 24 total, 24 in this make and model, 1 as pilot in command, 24 in the last 90 days, 13 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 230° at 4 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 32 °F, dew point 27 °F - Altimeter: 29.78 inHg - Observed at: FSD ## 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 20010104037879A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010104037879A), Jan 4, 2001: Cessna 172S, Sioux Falls, SD, No damage. (.19) On January 4, 2001, at 1046 central standard time, a Cessna 172S, N727SP, operated by business aviation, Sioux Falls, south dakota, piloted by a student… 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.