- Date
- October 29, 2007, 10:45 local (15:45 UTC)
- Place
- Brookings, SD
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N77LUCessna 172R
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 31, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration - Rapid City FSDO
- FAA report
- 20071029828099A
- Case key
- 67202
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 during takeoff roll. Contributing to the accident was the student pilot's lack of solo flight experience and 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 student pilot was practicing solo touch-and-go landings at the time of the accident. After an uneventful touchdown, the pilot applied engine power for takeoff and the airplane drifted off the left side of the runway impacting a runway sign. The pilot reported being distracted by another airplane after touchdown and as a result he failed to reposition the flaps for takeoff. The airplane received substantial damage to fuselage primary structure and the right horizontal stabilizer. The student pilot reported there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane. The student pilot had 40 hours of flight time, of which 8 hours were accumulated during solo flight.
Factual narrative
The student pilot was practicing solo touch-and-go landings at the time of the accident. After an uneventful touchdown, the pilot applied engine power for takeoff and the airplane drifted off the left side of the runway impacting a runway sign. The pilot reported being distracted by another airplane after touchdown and as a result he failed to reposition the flaps for takeoff. The airplane received substantial damage to fuselage primary structure and the right horizontal stabilizer. The student pilot reported there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane. The student pilot had 40 hours of flight time, of which 8 hours were accumulated during solo flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N77LU
- Reported as
- Cessna 172R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17281154
- Airframe hours
- 3,156
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- South Dakota State University
- Registered owner
- Aberdeen Flying Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 1, 2007
- Departed
- BKX · Brookings, SD
- Destination
- BKX · Brookings, SD
- Airport
- BKX · Brookings Regional Airport, runway 12, 5,231 × 100 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
- 46
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 40 total · 40 in this make and model · 8 as pilot in command · 31 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.23 inHg
- Observed at
- BKX
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.