- Date
- September 14, 1998, 21:00 local (Sep 15, 1998, 02:00 UTC)
- Place
- Harrisburg, IL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N733XGCessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report July 2, 1999
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980914024029A
- Case key
- 43935
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 loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
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 reported the engine quit when the airplane had climbed to 5 to 6 feet agl. When the airplane touched down it veered left off the runway. The airplane went into a ditch where it nosed over. The airplane was inspected. The engine exhibited continuity. No anomalies were found in the fuel and ignition system. The inspector reported there was no apparent reason for the power failure.
Factual narrative
On September 14, 1998, at 2100 central daylight time, a Cessna 172, N733XG, was substantially damaged during takeoff. A student pilot on his first night solo flight reported the airplane experienced a loss of power after the airplane had lifted off the runway. The student pilot landed the airplane on the runway, and then the airplane veered off the runway. The airplane rolled into a ditch about 100 feet left of the runway and nosed over. The student pilot was not injured. The 14 CFR Part 91 flight was departing the Harrisburg-Raliegh Airport on a local flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed.
The student pilot reported the engine quit when the airplane had climbed to 5 to 6 feet agl. When the airplane touched down it veered left off the runway. The airplane went into a ditch where it nosed over.
An Airworthiness Inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration examined the airplane. The engine exhibited continuity. No anomalies were found in the fuel and ignition system. The inspector reported there was no apparent reason for the power failure.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N733XG
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17268626
- Airframe hours
- 5,527
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Jerry Wood
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 29, 1997 · 49 hours before
- Departed
- HSB
- Airport
- HSB · Harrisburg/Raleigh, runway 24, 4,000 × 75 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
- 27
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 35 total · 6 in this make and model · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 230° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 12,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MWA, 25 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.