- Date
- February 5, 2002, 17:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Ottumwa, IA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N733FTCessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 18, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20020205007719A
- Case key
- 54131
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 failed to maintain directional control during takeoff. A contributing factor was the snowbank.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane nosed over when it veered left off the runway and impacted a snowbank. The student pilot reported he had completed three touch and go landings. He reported that during the fourth touch and go, the airplane went to the left after he applied power. He reported, "I pushed the power in and tried to bring the plane back to the right but was unsuccessful. The plane then hit the snow bank along the runway and flipped over on its top. Once stopped, I turned off the master switch and the key, took off my shoulder harness, seat belt, [and] then exited the plane." The inspection of the airplane revealed no preexisting anomalies or airworthiness discrepancies.
Factual narrative
On February 5, 2002, at 1700 central standard time, a Cessna 172N, N733FT, sustained substantial damage when it impacted a snow bank and nosed over during takeoff. The student pilot was not injured. The 14 CFR Part 91 solo instructional flight was departing runway 31 (5,885 feet by 150 feet, dry asphalt) at Ottumwa Industrial Airport (OTM), Ottumwa, Iowa, when it impacted the snow bank. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed.
The student pilot reported he had completed three touch and go landings. He reported that during the fourth touch and go, the airplane went to the left after he applied power. He reported, "I pushed the power in and tried to bring the plane back to the right but was unsuccessful. The plane then hit the snow bank along the runway and flipped over on its top. Once stopped, I turned off the master switch and the key, took off my shoulder harness, seat belt, [and] then exited the plane."
The inspection of the airplane revealed no preexisting anomalies or airworthiness discrepancies.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N733FT
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17268267
- Airframe hours
- 5,138
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Ottumwa Flying Service Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 28, 2002
- Departed
- OTM · Ottumwa, IA
- Airport
- OTM · Ottumwa Industrial Airport, runway 31, 5,885 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 53 total · 36 in this make and model · 53 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 36 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.29 inHg
- Observed at
- OTM
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 9, 2003, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.8 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.
Other investigations on N733FT · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.