- Date
- October 29, 2002, 14:58 local (20:58 UTC)
- Place
- St. Paul, MN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N848SPCessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 18, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA-Minneapolis FSDO
- FAA report
- 20021029030669A
- Case key
- 55979
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. A factor was the runway sign.
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 sustained substantial damage when it veered left off the runway during a touch and go and hit a runway sign before coming to a complete stop. The student pilot reported he was practicing touch and goes. He reported that after the fourth landing the right pedal began to stick and caused a sharp turn to the right. He reported that he could not get the pedal un-jammed so he applied left rudder. He reported he "lost control" of the airplane while using the right rudder to center the airplane. He reported that he pulled the power out and applied brakes. The airplane hit a runway sign and the airplane went into a skid. The student pilot had 28 total flight hours and one hour of pilot-in-command time. The inspection of the airplane revealed no preexisting mechanical defects.
Factual narrative
On October 29, 2002, at 1458 central standard time, a Cessna 172, N848SP, sustained substantial damage when it veered left off of runway 13 (4,115 feet by 150 feet, asphalt) at the St. Paul Downtown Holman Field Airport (STP), St. Paul, Minnesota, and hit a runway sign before coming to a complete stop. The student pilot was not injured. The 14 CFR Part 91 solo instructional flight was practicing touch and goes on a local training flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. No flight plan was filed.
The student pilot reported that after the fourth touch and go landing, the right pedal began to stick and caused a sharp turn to the right. Initially, he could not get pedal un-jammed so he applied left rudder. He reported he "lost control" of the airplane while using the right rudder to center the airplane. He reported that he pulled the power out and applied brakes. The airplane hit a runway sign and the airplane went into a skid. The student pilot had 28 total flight hours and one hour of pilot-in-command time.
The reported winds at STP were 080 degrees at 4 knots.
A Federal Aviation Administration Airworthiness Inspector examined the airplane and reported that no preexisting mechanical defects were found on the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N848SP
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S8756
- Airframe hours
- 943
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Wings, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Sullivan Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- STP · St. Paul, MN
- Airport
- STP · St. Paul Downtown Airport, runway 13, 4,115 × 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
- 22
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 1
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 28 total · 28 in this make and model · 1 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,900 ft broken
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.11 inHg
- Observed at
- STP
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.