- Date
- August 7, 2010, 20:25 local (Aug 8, 2010, 00:25 UTC)
- Place
- Chattanooga, TN
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N51745Cessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report April 7, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100807040739A
- Case key
- 76878
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 improper execution of the go-around procedure.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The student pilot stated that he and a passenger departed on a local flight to a tower-controlled airport, where he conducted five touch-and-go practice takeoff and landings and one full-stop landing. He then departed back to his home airport, where he conducted another touch-and-go landing. The student pilot stated that the approach for the second landing was fine but during the landing flare, he believed that he was approaching the end of the runway too fast. The student pilot decided to execute a go-around by increasing engine power and retracting the wing flaps. He stated that the airplane settled onto the runway and he attempted to apply brakes. The airplane veered off the left side of the runway and impacted a pole and a building, resulting in substantial damage to the engine firewall. The student pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane.
Factual narrative
The student pilot stated that he and a passenger departed on a local flight to a tower-controlled airport, where he conducted five touch-and-go landings and one full-stop landing. He then departed back to his home airport, where he conducted another touch-and-go landing. The student pilot stated that the approach for the second landing was "fine," but during the landing flare, he felt that he was "approaching the end of the runway too fast." The student pilot decided to execute a go-around, added power, and "pulled out all of [the] flaps." He stated that the airplane "lost all its lift," and settled onto the runway. After the airplane touched down, the student pilot attempted to apply brakes. The airplane "jerked" off the left side of the runway and impacted a pole and a building, resulting in substantial damage to the engine firewall. The student pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N51745
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (P)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17274341
- Engine
- Lycoming O320, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Hixson Aviation
- Registered owner
- Air-Planes LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Departed
- 1A0 · Chattanooga, TN
- Destination
- 1A0 · Chattanooga, TN
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- 1A0 · Dallas Bay Sky Park, runway 05, 3,025 × 50 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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 18
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 36 total · 36 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 40° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 15,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.90 inHg
- Observed at
- CHA, 9 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 17, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 205 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.