# NTSB ERA10CA392: Cessna 172N, N172FL, Elk Creek, VA, July 31, 2010

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report
- Date: July 31, 2010, 11:12 local (15:12 UTC)
- Place: Elk Creek, VA
- Coordinates: 36.765556, -81.328613 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.7656&lon=-81.3286&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Landing-landing roll: Collision during takeoff/land](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 2 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report December 20, 2010
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties: FAA/FSDO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 76819
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA10CA392
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/76819/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=76819
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA10CA392

## Probable cause

The student pilot’s continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in an off-airport landing.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Info processing/decision: decision making/judgment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Student/instructed pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172N, 41 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520/cases.md?model=2072434), [All aircraft, 3,098 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520/cases.md)
- [Ceiling/visibility/precip: below VFR minima](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03035075): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Decision related to condition; cases with it: [Cessna 172N, 5 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03035075/cases.md?model=2072434), [All aircraft, 184 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03035075/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Enroute: VFR encounter with IMC](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/401); cases with it: [Cessna 172N, 6 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/401/sequence.md?model=2072434), [All aircraft, 392 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/401/sequence.md)
- [Landing: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [Cessna 172N, 31 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md?model=2072434), [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md)
- [Landing-landing roll: Collision during takeoff/land](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 172N, 18 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490/sequence.md?model=2072434), [All aircraft, 1,309 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490/sequence.md)

## Analysis

According to the student pilot/owner, when he initially checked the weather 2 hours before takeoff, his intended route of flight was “cloudy,” but reporting visual meteorological conditions. After the student pilot and his passenger arrived at the airport, the student pilot checked the weather again and decided to fly southeast before proceeding direct to the destination through better weather conditions. After the student pilot took off, he requested flight following and informed an air traffic controller of his intended route of flight. The controller advised the student pilot of possible rain en route, and recommended that he modify his route of flight to proceed direct to his destination. The student pilot accepted the controller’s advice and found the first 45 minutes of flight to be “fine,” but the weather worsened. The student pilot flew into clouds "briefly" twice, but maneuvered the airplane back into visual conditions. He then asked air traffic control for advice, but all the suggestions “yielded no relief.” Shortly thereafter, the student pilot declared an emergency and decided to make an emergency landing to a field. The student pilot “dropped the plane down on the mains as firmly as possible, and [it] bounced and went airborne again.” The airplane traveled down the field, hit the top of a fence and continued up a hill, where it finally came to rest. The airplane incurred substantial damage to the forward section of the fuselage and the right wing root. The pilot did not report any mechanical anomalies with the airplane. The weather reported at an airport about 15 miles east, about the time of the accident, included broken clouds at 500 feet; broken clouds at 900 feet; overcast clouds at 1,400 feet; and light rain. The student pilot reported 170 hours of total flight time.

## Factual narrative

According to the student pilot/owner, when he initially checked the weather 2 hours before takeoff, his intended route of flight was “cloudy,” but reporting visual meteorological conditions. After the student pilot and his passenger arrived at the airport, the student pilot checked the weather again and decided to fly southeast before proceeding direct to the destination through better weather conditions. After the student pilot took off, he requested flight following and informed an air traffic controller of his intended route of flight. The controller advised the student pilot of possible rain en route, and recommended that he modify his route of flight to proceed direct to his destination. The student pilot accepted the controller’s advice and found the first 45 minutes of flight to be “fine,” but the weather worsened. The student pilot flew into clouds "briefly" twice, but maneuvered the airplane back into visual conditions. He then asked air traffic control for advice, but all the suggestions “yielded no relief.” Shortly thereafter, the student pilot declared an emergency and decided to make an emergency landing to a field. The student pilot “dropped the plane down on the mains as firmly as possible, and [it] bounced and went airborne again.” The airplane traveled down the field, hit the top of a fence and continued up a hill where it finally came to rest. The airplane incurred substantial damage to the forward section of the fuselage and the right wing root. The pilot did not report any mechanical anomalies with the airplane. The weather reported at an airport about 15 miles east, about the time of the accident, included broken clouds at 500 feet; broken clouds at 900 feet; overcast clouds at 1,400 feet; and light rain. The student pilot reported 170 hours of total flight time.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N172FL](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N172FL-2013-05-06), registration cancelled 2013-05-06, S/N 17269187, built 1977 (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: 17269187
- Engines: LYCOMING O-320 SERIES 180 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Departed: BCB, Blacksburg, VA
- Destination: VPC, Cartersville, GA
- Airport: NONE, None

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Student pilot; age 37; injuries: none; student; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; seat: left; flight hours: 170 total, 160 in this make and model, 7 in the last 90 days, 7 in the last 30 days, 4 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Instrument (IMC), Day
- Wind: 150° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: 500 ft broken
- Temperature: 64 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observed at: HLX, 15 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 20100731039899A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20100731039899A), Jul 31, 2010: Cessna 172N, Elk Creek, VA, Substantial damage. The student pilot elected to make an off airport landing in a hay field after experiencing instrument meteorological conditions and collided with a fence and…

## Other investigations on N172FL (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 MIA06CA088](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA06CA088), Mar 31, 2006: Cessna 172N (N172FL), Daytona Beach, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's improper landing flare/touchdown, which resulted in the airplane porpoising and incurring damage.

## Docket (6 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 5, 2010, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=76819. 4.4 MB in all.

- Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 3.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40335313&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF
- Federal Aviation Administration Inspector Statement (item 2, .PDF, 540 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40335317&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Federal%20Aviation%20Administration%20Inspector%20Statement-Master.PDF
- Virginia Weather Reports (item 3, .PDF, 205 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40335318&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Virginia%20Weather%20Reports-Master.PDF
- Photograph #1 - Airplane Wreckage (Courtesy of FAA) (item 4, .PDF, 309 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40335319&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photograph%20%231%20-%20Airplane%20Wreckage%20(Courtesy%20of%20FAA)-Master.PDF
- Photograph #2 - View of Field (Courtesy of FAA) (item 5, .PDF, 215 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40335320&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photograph%20%232%20-%20View%20of%20Field%20(Courtesy%20of%20FAA)-Master.PDF
- Photograph #3 - Damaged Right Wing Root (Courtesy of FAA) (item 6, .PDF, 124 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40335321&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photograph%20%233%20-%20Damaged%20Right%20Wing%20Root%20(Courtesy%20of%20FAA)-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.

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