- Date
- January 22, 2008, 13:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- South St. Paul, MN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N738UECessna 172N
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Minneapolis, MN FSDO
- FAA report
- 20080122844549A
- Case key
- 67612
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 the landing roll. Contributing to the accident were the snow-covered runway and the gusty wind conditions.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The student pilot was on a solo cross-country flight when the accident occurred. The airplane reportedly touched down on the runway centerline then gradually veered toward the right side of the runway. The airplane nosed over after contacting a hard packed snow pile at the edge of the runway. The local winds reported 5 minutes after the accident were from 260 degrees at 13 knots gusting to 18 knots. The nose over resulted in substantial damage to the left wing spar and ribs.
Factual narrative
On January 22, 2008, at 1330 central standard time, a Cessna 172N, N738UE, nosed over following a loss of directional control while landing on runway 34 (4,001 feet by 100 feet, compacted snow), at the South St. Paul Municipal Airport - Flemming Field (SGS), South St. Paul, Minnesota. The student pilot was not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 solo cross-country flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The last departure point was the Albert Lea Municipal Airport (AEL), Albert Lea, Minnesota, at 1230.
The airplane reportedly touched down on the runway centerline then gradually veered toward the right side of the runway. The airplane nosed over after contacting a hard packed snow pile at the edge of the runway. The local winds reported 5 minutes after the accident were from 260 degrees at 13 knots gusting to 18 knots. The nose over resulted in substantial damage to the left wing spar and ribs.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N738UE
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17270241
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- MN Aviation, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- AEL · Albert Lea, MN
- Destination
- SGS · South St. Paul, MN
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
- 23
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Flight hours
- 57 total · 55 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 13 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 10 °F, dew point -4 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- SGS
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.