- Date
- August 6, 2014, 09:30 local (13:30 UTC)
- Place
- Valkaria, FL
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9400ECessna 172N
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Runway excursion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 27, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20140806015069A
- Case key
- 89807
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 pilot's misjudgment of speed and distance on final approach during a precautionary landing, resulting in a touchdown off the departure end of the runway and collision with terrain. A factor in the accident was a partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined in post accident testing.
Findings · 4
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
According to the student pilot, she had just landed after a local instructional flight. Her instructor completed the solo endorsement in her logbook as they taxied back to the arrival end of the runway 28. The student pilot then taxied on to runway 28 for departure. She applied full throttle and the airplane lifted off the runway normally. At approximately 500 feet above ground level the engine began to run rough and dropped to 1900 RPMs. The student pilot immediately lowered the nose of the airplane to attain best glide speed and started a left hand turn to return to the airport. She attempted to land on runway 10. Approximately 20 seconds after the engine began running rough the pilot applied the carburetor heat and then reduced the throttle to idle. The student pilot did not attempt however to increase power after the application of carburetor heat and the throttle remained in the idle position for the remainder of the approach. The pilot then applied full flaps as the airplane was descending over midfield. The airplane overflew the runway and touched down in the grass immediately off the departure end of runway 10. The airplane subsequently struck a fence and nosed over. Post accident examination of the airplane and engine showed no evidence of mechanical failure or malfunction. The engine was started and operated with no signs of failure. A review of the carburetor icing probability chart shows the aircraft was operating in conditions that were not conductive to carburetor icing at the time of the accident. The pilot had 43 total flight hours.
Factual narrative
According to the student pilot, she had just landed after a local instructional flight. Her instructor completed the solo endorsement in her logbook as they taxied back to the arrival end of the runway 28. The student pilot then taxied on to runway 28 for departure. She applied full throttle and the airplane lifted off the runway normally. At approximately 500 feet above ground level the engine began to run rough and dropped to 1900 RPMs. The student pilot immediately lowered the nose of the airplane to attain best glide speed and started a left hand turn to return to the airport. She attempted to land on runway 10. Approximately 20 seconds after the engine began running rough the pilot applied the carburetor heat and then reduced the throttle to idle. The student pilot did not attempt however to increase power after the application of carburetor heat and the throttle remained in the idle position for the remainder of the approach. The pilot then applied full flaps as the airplane was descending over midfield. The airplane overflew the runway and touched down in the grass immediately off the departure end of runway 10. The airplane subsequently struck a fence and nosed over. Post accident examination of the airplane and engine showed no evidence of mechanical failure or malfunction. The engine was started and operated with no signs of failure. A review of the carburetor icing probability chart shows the aircraft was operating in conditions that were not conductive to carburetor icing at the time of the accident. The pilot had 43 total flight hours.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9400E
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17272249
- Built
- 1979
- Airframe hours
- 6,940
- Engine
- Lycoming 0-320 SERIES, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 18, 2014 · 100 hours before
- Departed
- X59 · Valkaria, FL
- Destination
- X59 · Valkaria, FL
- Airport
- X59 · Valkaria, runway 10, 4,000 × 75 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
- Pilot
- Age
- 17
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 43 total · 43 in this make and model · 43 in the last 90 days · 43 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 79 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
- Observed at
- MLB, 10 nm away
Docket · 7
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 16, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 8.0 MB 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.