- Date
- April 26, 2003, 11:50 local (17:50 UTC)
- Place
- Colo. Springs, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N54202Cessna 172P
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20030426005619A
- Case key
- 56891
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 obtain and maintain adequate altitude during the go-around. Factors contributing to the accident were the encountered windshear, the student pilot's premature raising of the flaps, the instructor pilot's inadequate supervision, and the berm.
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 flight instructor reported that while making an approach to the runway, the airplane encountered wind shear. The instructor told the student pilot to go-around. The student pilot added power and the airplane climbed "just above the runway." The flight instructor said the airplane would not climb. The instructor pilot said, "The nose wheel hit a small hill on the (approach) end of the runway and flipped us over." The airplane sustained damage to the propeller, engine cowling, nose gear, firewall, and both wings. Later, after the airplane had been recovered, the instructor pilot noted that the flaps were up. The instructor pilot reported that on approach, the flaps were in the full down position. An examination of the airplane revealed no pre-existing anomalies that could have contributed to the accident. The reported winds at the Colorado Springs Municipal Airport, 225 degrees at 14 nautical miles, 4 minutes after the accident occurred, were 140 degrees at 5 knots.
Factual narrative
On April 26, 2003, at 1150 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 172P, N54202, piloted by a student pilot, was substantially damaged when it impacted a berm at the approach end of runway 26 (2,084 feet by 40 feet, dry dirt) at Meadow Lake Airport, Colorado Springs, Colorado, and subsequently nosed over. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The instructional flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The certified flight instructor and dual student on board the airplane reported no injuries. The cross-country flight originated at Pueblo, Colorado, at 1045.
The flight instructor reported that while making an approach to runway 26, the airplane encountered wind shear. He said he told the student pilot to go-around. The instructor pilot said the student pilot added power and the airplane climbed "just above the runway." The flight instructor said the airplane would not climb. The instructor pilot said, "The nose wheel hit a small hill on the (approach) end of the runway and flipped us over."
After the airplane had been recovered, the instructor pilot noted that the flaps were up. The instructor pilot reported that on approach, the flaps were at 30 degrees or full down.
An examination of the airplane showed damage to the propeller, engine cowling, nose gear, firewall, and both wings. An examination of the airplane's systems revealed no pre-existing anomalies that could have contributed to the accident.
At 1154, the routine weather report system at the Colorado Springs Municipal Airport, 225 degrees at 14 nautical miles, reported clear skies, 10 statute miles visibility, temperature 64 degrees Fahrenheit (F), dew point 33 degrees F, winds 140 degrees at 5 knots, and altimeter 29.77 inches of Mercury.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N54202
- Reported as
- Cessna 172P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17274914
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2J, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- American Aviation, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- PUB · Pueblo, CO
- Destination
- 00V · Colo. Springs, CO
- Airport
- 00V · Meadow Lake Airport, runway 26, 2,084 × 40 ft, dirt
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
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 37
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2
- Last flight review
- April 14, 2002
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,325 total · 1,050 in this make and model · 1,120 as pilot in command · 160 in the last 90 days · 45 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.77 inHg
- Observed at
- COS, 14 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.