- Date
- May 1, 2007, 16:50 local (21:50 UTC)
- Place
- West Chicago, IL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N97224Cessna 172P
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 27, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration, DuPage FSDO
- FAA report
- 20070501020559A
- Case key
- 65752
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 instructor's inadequate remedial action following the student pilot's loss of control during the crosswind landing and the instructor's failure to compensate for the wind conditions. Contributing factors were, the crosswind, the gusting wind conditions and the ditch.
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 impacted a ditch following an uncontrolled exit from the runway surface (runway 33, 3,401 feet long, 100 foot wide, dry concrete). The instructor reported that after touchdown, the power was increased but the airplane yawed into the left crosswind. The airplane then exited the runway into the grass adjacent to the runway. The instructor stated that the main gear dragged in the grass and the nose gear dug into the ground. The airplane then pivoted to the right and the left wingtip impacted and dragged through the grass. The reported wind conditions about the time of the accident were from 280 magnetic degrees at 13 knots, gusting to 21 knots. Inspection of the airplane did not reveal any flight control or mechanical malfunction that would have prevented normal operation.
Factual narrative
The airplane impacted a ditch following an uncontrolled exit from the runway surface. The student pilot and certified flight instructor were returning from a local area training flight. During the landing to runway 33 (3,401 feet by 100 feet, asphalt), the airplane lifted off after touchdown. The instructor reported that power was increased but the airplane yawed into the left crosswind. The airplane then exited the runway into the grass adjacent to the runway. The instructor stated the main gear dragged in the grass and the nose gear dug into the ground. The airplane then pivoted to the right and the left wingtip impacted and dragged through the grass. The reported wind conditions about the time of the accident were from 280 magnetic degrees at 13 knots, gusting to 21 knots. Inspection of the airplane did not reveal any flight control or mechanical malfunction that would have prevented normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N97224
- Reported as
- Cessna 172P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17276165
- Airframe hours
- 16,717
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- American Flyers
- Registered owner
- American Flyers of New York
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 1, 2007
- Departed
- DPA · West Chicago, IL
- Airport
- DPA · DuPage Airport, runway 33, 3,401 × 100 ft, concrete
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 27
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 1, 2005
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,078 total · 760 in this make and model · 984 as pilot in command · 91 in the last 90 days · 26 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 17
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 54 total · 54 in this make and model · 5 as pilot in command · 54 in the last 90 days · 0 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 13 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.79 inHg
- Observed at
- DPA
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.