- Date
- August 13, 2011, 11:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Elkins, WV
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N5399QCessna 172M
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 17, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA Charleston FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110813018879A
- Case key
- 81472
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 flight instructor's unfamiliarity with the geographic area, resulting in controlled flight into terrain.
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 certified flight instructor (CFI) directed the student pilot to perform a touch-and-go landing. During climb out, the CFI informed the student they would be conducting some mountain flying and instructed him to climb straight ahead over a ridge line. Upon clearing the ridge line, the CFI directed the student to make a right turn into a canyon. After entering the canyon, the CFI realized he was in the wrong area and the airplane would be unable to clear the ridge line in front of them. He took control of the airplane and made a left turn towards the left side of the canyon. He then initiated a hard right turn and realized there was insufficient room to reverse course. He leveled the wings of the airplane and it collided with the trees. The airplane sustained substantial damage and came to rest on the side of the ridge. The CFI stated there were no mechanical problems with the airplane and he was unfamiliar with the geographic area.
Factual narrative
The certified flight instructor (CFI) informed the student pilot to make a touch-and-go landing. During climb out, the CFI informed the student they would be conducting some mountain flying and to climb straight ahead over a ridge line. Upon clearing the ridge line, the CFI instructed the student to make a right turn into a canyon. After entering the canyon, the CFI realized he was in the wrong area and the airplane would be unable to clear the ridge line to their immediate front. He took control of the airplane and made a left turn towards the left side of the canyon. He then initiated a hard right turn and realized there was insufficient room to reverse course. He leveled the wings of the airplane and it collided with the trees. The airplane sustained structural damage and came to rest on the side of the ridge. The CFI stated there were no mechanical problems with the airplane and he was unfamiliar with the geographic area.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5399Q
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17261784
- Airframe hours
- 3,220
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Michael D. Knopp
- Registered owner
- Wjb LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 7, 2010 · 85 hours before
- Departed
- EKN · Elkins, WV
- Destination
- EKN · Elkins, WV
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 61
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 3, 2010
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 12,900 total · 3,500 in this make and model · 11,700 as pilot in command · 300 in the last 90 days · 74 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 35
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 24 total · 2 in this make and model · 24 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- EKN
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 9, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 346 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.