- Date
- March 14, 2007, 13:52 local (17:52 UTC)
- Place
- Big Rapids, MI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N3622SCessna 172E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 29, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20070314832139A
- Case key
- 65552
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 failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during takeoff which led to the impact with the snow banks adjacent to the runway. The snow banks were contributing factors in the accident.
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 struck snowbanks on the left side of the runway (2,700 feet by 75 feet), after liftoff and then nosed over. The student pilot reported that on a previous flight with his instructor, they had practiced soft field takeoffs. The student reported that on this solo flight he decided to perform a soft field takeoff. He stated that during the takeoff, the nose of the airplane came up as expected. He stated that because of the limited view over the nose of the airplane, he did not realize that the airplane was drifting toward the left. He stated that once the airplane became airborne, he could see that it was heading toward the snow banks adjacent to the runway. He attempted to avoid the snow banks, but the left main landing gear hit the top of a snow bank, then the right main landing gear struck a snow bank and the airplane settled toward the ground. The airplane subsequently hit another snow bank and nosed over. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane.
Factual narrative
The airplane struck snowbanks on the left side of the runway (2,700 feet by 75 feet), after liftoff and then nosed over. The student pilot reported that on a previous flight with his instructor, they had practiced soft field takeoffs. The student reported that on this solo flight he decided to perform a soft field takeoff. He stated that during the takeoff, the nose of the airplane came up as expected. He stated that because of the limited view over the nose of the airplane, he did not realize that the airplane was drifting toward the left. He stated that once the airplane became airborne, he could see that it was heading toward the snow banks adjacent to the runway. He attempted to avoid the snow banks, but the left main landing gear hit the top of a snow bank, then the right main landing gear struck a snow bank and the airplane settled toward the ground. The airplane subsequently hit another snow bank and nosed over. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3622S
- Reported as
- Cessna 172E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17250822
- Engine
- Continental O-300, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- RQB · Big Rapids, MI
- Airport
- runway 32, 2,700 × 75 ft
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
- 60
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 61 total · 58 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.