- Date
- January 15, 2011, 08:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place
- Lebanon, TN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N1946FCessna 172N
- Defining event
- Takeoff-rejected takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 8, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110115000229A
- Case key
- 78163
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 maintain directional control during an aborted takeoff, resulting in a runway excursion.
Findings · 2
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 the airplane’s left main tire felt flat during his third solo landing. After landing he taxied back to the fixed base operator (FBO) to have the tire checked. The FBO representative found no discrepancies and the pilot taxied back to the runway to continue the flight. During takeoff, as the airplane reached about 30 knots, the airplane began to bobble on the left side. In response the pilot retarded the engine power to idle and applied the brakes. The airplane continued toward the left off the runway, and came to a stop in a ditch, incurring substantial damage to the firewall. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector who responded to the accident stated that the left wheel assembly did not reveal discrepancies that would have prevented normal operation of the assembly.
Factual narrative
The student pilot stated that the airplane’s left main tire felt flat during his third solo landing. After landing he taxied back to the fixed base operator (FBO) to have the tire checked. The FBO representative did not note any discrepancy, and the pilot taxied back to the runway to continue the flight training. During takeoff, as the airplane reached about 30 knots, the airplane began to bobble on the left side so the pilot reduced power back to idle and applied the brakes. The airplane continued toward the left off the runway, and came to a stop in a ditch,, incurring substantial damage to the firewall. The responding Federal Aviation Administration inspector stated that the left wheel assembly did not reveal discrepancies that would have prevented normal operation of the assembly.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1946F
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17273036
- Airframe hours
- 3,616
- Engine
- Lycoming 0-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Redi Air
- Registered owner
- RJC Enterprise LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 5, 2011 · 9 hours before
- Departed
- M54 · Lebanon, TN
- Destination
- M54 · Lebanon, TN
- Airport
- M54 · Lebanon Municipal Airport, runway 19, 5,000 × 100 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
- 21
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 14 total · 13 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 36 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.27 inHg
- Observed at
- BNA, 17 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 2, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 924 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.