# NTSB DEN02LA086: Cessna 172N, N5088K, Fort Collins, CO, July 31, 2002 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: July 31, 2002, 16:15 local (22:15 UTC) - Place: Fort Collins, CO - Coordinates: 40.650505, -105.030288 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.6505&lon=-105.0303&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report December 6, 2002 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 55390 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DEN02LA086 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/55390/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=55390 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN02LA086 ## Probable cause the student pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control and subsequent inadvertent stall/mush into terrain during a soft field take off. Contributing factors include the pilot's lack of experience and the high density altitude conditions. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - in flight, takeoff - initial climb - aircraft control - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - stall/mush - encountered, pilot in command (cause) - lack of experience, pilot in command (contributing factor) - soft field takeoff/procedure - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - In flight collision with terrain/water, takeoff - initial climb - terrain condition - runway ## Analysis The student pilot had just finished practicing several soft field take offs and landings with an instructor and was on his first solo flight of the day. After taxing to the end of runway, he pulled the yoke back all the way, and added full power. Following rotation, the airplane came straight up in a 45-degree incline. At approximately 20 feet in the air, the airplane drifted off to the right of the runway, struck the ground with its left wing tip, bounced up and then it struck the ground a second time. The ground impact collapsed and sheered off the nose landing gear, buckled the firewall, and bent the outboard 4 feet of the right wing spar. ## Factual narrative On July 31, 2002, at approximately 1615 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N5088K, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain during take-off from Fort Collins Downtown Airport (3V5), Fort Collins Colorado. The student pilot, the sole occupant on board, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. No flight plan was filed for this local solo flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight was originating at the time of the accident. According to the student pilot, he had finished practicing several soft field take offs and landings with an instructor and this was his first solo flight of the day. He taxied to the end of runway 11, "pulled the yoke back all the way, and added full power." Following rotation, the "nose came straight up and the plane was in a 45-degree incline." The airplane climbed to approximately 20 feet and stalled. The airplane drifted off to the right of the runway, struck the ground with its left wing tip, bounced up and then it struck the ground a second time. The ground impact collapsed and sheered off the nose landing gear, buckled the firewall, and bent the outboard 4 feet of the right wing spar. The instructor, who was watching the take off from the ramp, stated that the nose of the airplane came up "as expected" but did not stop coming up, and the airplane "very quickly left the ground." When the nose was "at about 15 to 20 feet in the air, the plane veered to the right and then to the left in about a 90 degree left turn." After the accident occurred, the instructor examined the airplane and checked the trim and flap settings. He verified that they were "set for the correct positions for soft field takeoff." At the time of the accident, the weather conditions were: wind, 150 degrees at 5 knots; visibility, 10 statute miles; temperature, 99 degrees Fahrenheit; dew point, 34 degrees Fahrenheit; and the altimeter setting was, 29.95. The airfield elevation is 4,939 feet msl, and the calculated density altitude was 8,682 feet msl. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N5088K](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N5088K), registered now, S/N 17273959, built 1980 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 172N - Registry model: [Cessna 172N](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172n) (registry code 2072434) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (registry code 41508, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 17273959 - Airframe hours: 8547.1 - Engines: Lycoming O-320 160 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Operator: The Pilot Center - Registered owner: Jimandi LLC. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: AAIP, July 18, 2002, 27.5 hours before - Departed: 3V5, FT Collins, CO - Destination: 3V5 - Airport: 3V5, Fort Collins Downtown, runway 11, 5,300 × 48 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Student pilot; age 53; injuries: none; student; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 96 total, 96 in this make and model, 13 as pilot in command, 53 in the last 90 days, 21 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 150° at 5 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 99 °F, dew point 34 °F - Altimeter: 29.95 inHg - Observed at: KFNL, 8 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20020731021389A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020731021389A), Jul 31, 2002: Cessna 172N, Fort Collins, CO, No damage. (-23) The student pilot was practicing soft-field takeoff and landing procedures. He did not recognize that the aircraft was trimmed full nose up. After… ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 29, 2002, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=55390. 530 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 329 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40465447&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - Witness Statement (item 2, .PDF, 124 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40465448&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Witness%20Statement-Master.PDF - Maps or Charts of Accident Area, Wreckage Diagrams (item 3, .PDF, 56 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40167057&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Maps%20or%20Charts%20of%20Accident%20Area,%20Wreckage%20Diagrams-Master.PDF - Weather Reports and Records (item 4, .PDF, 20 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40167058&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Weather%20Reports%20and%20Records-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.