# NTSB DEN99LA121: Cessna 172N, N5396D, Englewood, CO, July 14, 1999 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: July 13, 1999, 18:45 local (Jul 14, 1999, 00:45 UTC) - Place: Englewood, CO - Coordinates: 39.580219, -104.859878 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.5802&lon=-104.8599&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 3 uninjured - Status: Completed, report June 22, 2000 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 46788 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DEN99LA121 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/46788/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN99LA121 ## Probable cause The flight instructor's failure maintain aircraft control. A factor was the inadequate supervision by the flight instructor. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - in flight, approach - vfr pattern - final approach - aircraft control - not maintained, pilot in command(cfi) (cause) - supervision - inadequate, pilot in command(cfi) (contributing factor) - Hard landing, descent - uncontrolled - terrain condition - open field ## Analysis The flight instructor said that while turning downwind to base in the traffic pattern for runway 17R, he pulled the throttle out to give the student a practice engine out emergency landing. The student 'over shot the centerline, and steepened up his bank to correct back.' At the same time, the student pulled the control yoke back, and the airplane's decent rate accelerated. The flight instructor said that he 'pushed the throttle to full power and tried to level the wings.' The airplane landed hard approximately 10 feet left of the runway, and subsequently veered across the runway and off the right side. ## Factual narrative On July 13, 1999, approximately 1845 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N5396D, was substantially damaged during landing at Centennial Airport, Englewood, Colorado. The commercial flight instructor, his student, and the passenger were not injured. The airplane was owned by a private individual and operated by Wings of Denver under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local instructional flight which originated approximately 75 minutes before the accident. No flight plan had been filed. The flight instructor pilot said that while turning downwind to base in the traffic pattern for runway 17R, he pulled the throttle out to give the student a practice engine out emergency landing. The student "over shot the centerline, and steepened up his bank to correct back." At the same time, the student pulled the control yoke back, and the airplane's decent rate accelerated. The flight instructor said that he "pushed the throttle to full power and tried to level the wings." The airplane landed hard approximately 10 feet left of the runway, and subsequently veered across the runway and off the right side. The engine firewall was buckled and the cockpit floor boards were diagonally wrinkled; and, the tail bulkhead and the right wing outboard upper skin were wrinkled. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N5396D](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5396D-2018-12-27), registration cancelled 2018-12-27, S/N 17272562, built 1979 (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: 17272562 - Engines: Lycoming O-320-H2AD reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Registered owner: Jean Fonden - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: APA - Airport: APA, Centennial Airport, runway 17R, 7,004 × 77 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 32; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: right; flight hours: 850 total, 680 in this make and model, 830 as pilot in command, 220 in the last 90 days, 80 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 150° at 7 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 25,000 ft broken - Temperature: 86 °F, dew point 39 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: APA, 1 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 19990713043079A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990713043079A), Jul 13, 1999: Cessna 172N, Denver, CO, No damage. (-23) According to the flight instructor pilot, the student was on base leg and he, the instructor, pulled the power back to simulate an engine failure… ## Other investigations on N5396D (1) 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. - [NTSB GAA17CA540](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA17CA540), Sep 16, 2017: Cessna 172 (N5396D), Lynchburg, VA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's unstabilized approach, which resulted in an aborted go-around, an aerodynamic stall, and a hard landing. 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.