ERA12CA330

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 172R · Immokalee, FL · May 11, 2012

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
May 11, 2012, 09:00 local (13:00 UTC)
Place
Immokalee, FL
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Takeoff
Aircraft
N5253BCessna 172R
Defining event
Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report November 7, 2012
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Eastern Region Aviation
Parties
FAA/FSDO
Case key
83608

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during a touch-and-go landing.

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.

Performance/control parameters: directional controlAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedCessna 172R: 37 casesAll aircraft: 3,958 casesProbable cause
Use of equip/info: aircraft controlPersonnel issues › Task performance · Student/instructed pilotCessna 172R: 75 casesAll aircraft: 9,295 casesProbable cause

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 demonstrated three successful touch-and-go landings. After the third touch-and-go landing, the flight instructor deplaned, and the student pilot successfully performed eight solo touch-and-go landings on the same runway. The student pilot reported that while he was on final approach for the ninth solo touch-and-go landing, he heard the pilot of a helicopter announce the intention to fly over the landing runway. The student pilot announced that he had the helicopter in sight and advised of his intention to perform a touch-and-go landing on the runway. The student pilot landed and said he then applied full throttle before retracting the flaps. The airplane started to drift to the left and the right wing lifted, so the student pilot reduced the power to idle and applied aft control yoke then waited for the airplane to come to rest. The flight instructor reported seeing the helicopter fly over the airplane while it was on the runway during the landing roll. The flight instructor also noted that the student pilot had not retracted the flaps and saw the airplane veer sharply to the left and then cart wheel, coming to rest upright. The operator reported there was no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction of the airplane. Postaccident inspection of the airplane revealed damage to the firewall.

Factual narrative

The flight departed Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, and proceeded to the Immokalee Regional Airport where the student pilot demonstrated to the on-board certified flight instructor (CFI) three successful touch-and-go (T&G) landings to runway 27. Following the 3rd T&G landing, the CFI deplaned, and the student pilot departed from the same runway and remained in the traffic pattern performing 8 additional T&G landings on the same runway. During final approach for the 9th T&G landing, the student pilot reported hearing the pilot of a helicopter announce the intention to fly over runway 27. The student pilot reported he announced on the common traffic advisory frequency that he had the helicopter in sight, and his intention to perform a T&G landing on runway 27. The student pilot landed, and after touchdown during the landing roll, he applied full throttle before retracting the flaps. The airplane started to drift to the left and the right wing raised. The student pilot reduced the power to idle and applied aft control yoke then waited for the airplane to come to rest. The CFI reported seeing the helicopter flying in a southerly direction, and the helicopter flew directly overhead the airplane while it was on the runway during the landing roll. The CFI noted the student pilot did not retract the flaps and the airplane veered sharply to the left, then cart wheeled coming to rest upright. The operator reported there was no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction of the airplane. Postaccident inspection of the airplane revealed damage to the firewall.

Aircraft

Registration
N5253B
Reported as
Cessna 172R
Category
Airplane
Serial number
17281124
Airframe hours
3,784
Engine
Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Instructional · Part 91
Operator
Atp USA
Registered owner
Aviation Training LLC
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
Last inspection
100 hour · March 16, 2012
Departed
IMM · Immokalee, FL
Destination
IMM · Immokalee, FL
Airport
IMM · Immokalee Regional Airport, runway 27, 5,000 × 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
25
Injuries
None
Certificate
Student
Medical
Class 1, With waivers/limitations
Seat
Left
Flight hours
51 total · 51 in this make and model · 51 in the last 90 days · 24 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
40° at 6 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
73 °F, dew point 66 °F
Altimeter
29.97 inHg
Observed at
RSW, 20 nm away

Docket · 5

The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 30, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.8 MB in all.