- Date
- April 13, 2011, 18:55 local (22:55 UTC)
- Place
- Saint Petersburg, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N2468ZCessna 172S
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 22, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110413006079A
- Case key
- 78871
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 failure of the student pilot to maintain directional control during a touch-and-go landing.
Findings · 3
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 after takeoff during his second supervised solo flight, he remained in the traffic pattern and landed uneventfully. During the landing roll he elected to perform a touch-and-go landing and applied power for takeoff. Immediately after adding power, the airplane turned left. He applied right rudder to correct the left turn but then decided to perform a full stop landing. He applied the brakes in an effort to keep the airplane on the runway, and reduced power before the airplane departed the runway, and went into water while traveling about 30 knots. The student pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The student's certified flight instructor stated that after veering to the left, the airplane exited the runway, crossed a perpendicular runway, and then impacted a ditch at which time he heard power applied. He then observed the airplane travel into the water and ran to the airplane to assist his student. Postaccident inspection of the flight controls revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall and fuselage.
Factual narrative
The student pilot stated that after takeoff during his second supervised solo flight, he remained in the traffic pattern and landed uneventfully, but during the landing roll elected to perform a touch-and-go landing and applied power. Immediately after adding power, the airplane turned left and he used rudder to correct the left turn but then decided to perform a full stop landing. He applied the brakes in an effort to keep the airplane on the runway, and reduced power, then added a little power inadvertently because he was nervous, then reduced power. The airplane departed the runway, and went into water while traveling about 30 knots. The student pilot further stated there was no preimpact mechanical failure or malfunction. The students’ certified flight instructor stated that after veering to the left, the airplane exited the runway onto grass, crossed runway 25, and then went into a ditch at which time he heard power applied. He then watched the airplane travel into the water and ran to the airplane to assist his student. Postaccident inspection of the flight controls by a Federal Aviation Administration airworthiness inspector revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2468Z
- Reported as
- Cessna 172S
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S10065
- Airframe hours
- 2,441
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Bay Air Flying Service
- Registered owner
- VL Aviation, LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 10, 2011
- Departed
- SPG · Saint Petersburg, FL
- Destination
- SPG · Saint Petersburg, FL
- Airport
- SPG · Albert Whitted Airport, runway 36, 2,864 × 150 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
- 19
- Injuries
- None
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 18 total · 18 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.96 inHg
- Observed at
- SPG
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 20, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 696 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.