- Date
- July 19, 1999, 20:15 local (Jul 20, 1999, 00:15 UTC)
- Place
- Greenville, MI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3558ECessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 22, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19990719009819A
- Case key
- 46839
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 inadequate use of the rudder which resulted in a loss of directional control during an aborted landing. A factor associated with the accident was the student's lack of total experience and the segmented circle which the airplane contacted.
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 reported this was his second solo flight. He reported the landing was normal up until it felt like the airplane ballooned. He reported, 'In reality very little if I had continued to bleed off the speed with the yoke I would have been fine.' However, he reported that he decided to perform a go-around during which he failed to use right rudder. The airplane traveled off the side of the runway where it contacted a segmented circle. The pilot stated he could have avoided the accident by not performing a go-around in this case, using right rudder during the go-around, continuing to fly the airplane, and straightening the nose during landing.
Factual narrative
On July 19, 1999, at 2015 eastern daylight time (edt), a Cessna 172N, N3558E, collided with a segmented circle around the wind tetrahedron following a loss of control on landing on runway 09 (3,700' x 75') at the Greenville Municipal Airport, Greenville, Michigan. The student pilot was not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The 14 CFR Part 91 local solo instruction flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The flight originated from the Greenville Muncipal Airport at 0800.
The student reported this was his second solo flight and he planned to perform two or three takeoffs and landings. He reported the landing was normal up until he felt like the airplane ballooned. He reported, "In reality very little if I had continued to bleed off the speed with the yoke I would have been fine." However, he reported that he decided to perform a go-around and the "...plane went off the runway to the left because I did not use right rudder like a normal takeoff." The pilot stated that since he was still on the ground he shut off the power and "...decided just to ride it out on the grass." The pilot stated he applied light brake pressure and "...hit right rudder at the end which collided with a section of the segmented circle."
The student reported he could have avoided the accident by 1) not performing a go-around in this case, 2) using right rudder during a go-around, 3) continuing to fly the airplane, and 4) straightening the nose during landing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3558E
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17271586
- Airframe hours
- 5,018
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Vsp Leasing, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 24, 1999
- Departed
- 6D6
- Destination
- 6D6
- Airport
- 6D6 · Greenville Municipal, runway 9, 3,700 × 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
- 44
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 23 total · 23 in this make and model · 1 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,300 ft broken
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GRR, 23 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.
Other investigations on N3558E · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.