- Date
- July 30, 2004, 18:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Sublette, KS
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N105PDCessna 172M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 28, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration - Wichita FSDO
- FAA report
- 20040730018339A
- Case key
- 59947
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's inadequate compensation for the crosswind condition, and her failure to maintain aircraft control during landing. Factors contributing to the accident included the student pilot's unsuccessful recovery from the bounced landings and the soft terrain conditions.
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 departed the runway and nosed over during the student pilot's first solo flight. The pilot stated that the local winds resulted in a five knot left crosswind. The pilot reported that she flew a left traffic pattern for runway 17 and while on final approach had to "compensate with right rudder" for the crosswind. The pilot stated the airplane touched-down a few feet off the runway centerline with a "very slight bounce." The pilot reported the airplane "veered to the right" and that she was "unable to apply left rudder in time to keep [the airplane] from going off the runway." The pilot stated the right main landing gear contacted soft terrain and the airplane nosed over.
Factual narrative
On July 30, 2004, at 1830 central daylight time, a Cessna 172M, N105PD, piloted by a student pilot, was substantially damaged when it nosed over during a landing attempt on runway 17 (4,500 feet by 60 feet, dry asphalt) at the Sublette Flying Club Airport (19S), Sublette, Kansas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The local flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The student pilot reported minor injuries. The solo-instructional flight departed 19S at 1825.
The accident occurred during the student pilot's first solo flight. The pilot stated she had flown with her flight instructor just prior to the accident flight and had practiced emergency procedures, go-arounds, takeoffs and landings. The pilot reported that five successful landings were completed with her instructor aboard. The pilot stated that the local winds resulted in a five knot left crosswind. The pilot stated her flight instructor then deplaned to allow her to fly solo.
The pilot reported that she flew a left traffic pattern for runway 17 and while on final approach had to "compensate with right rudder" for the crosswind. The pilot stated the airplane touched-down a few feet off the runway centerline with a "very slight bounce." The pilot reported the airplane "veered to the right" and that she was "unable to apply left rudder in time to keep [the airplane] from going off the runway." The pilot stated the right main landing gear contacted soft terrain and the airplane nosed over.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N105PD
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17261469
- Airframe hours
- 2,820
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Western Ag Services, LLC.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 26, 2004 · 10.2 hours before
- Departed
- 19S · Sublette, KS
- Destination
- 19S · Sublette, KS
- Airport
- 19S · Sublette Flying Club Airport, runway 17, 4,500 × 60 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
- Pilot
- Age
- 17
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 35 total · 35 in this make and model · 0 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.93 inHg
- Observed at
- GCK, 27 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.