- Date
- November 12, 2014, 16:33 local (21:33 UTC)
- Place
- Sarasota, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N60155Cessna 172S
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 7, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- FAA report
- 20141112021949A
- Case key
- 90409
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 airplane control during the initial climb, resulting in a runway excursion and substantial damage to the engine firewall. The student pilot's lack of overall flying experience was a factor.
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
According to the student pilot, he was performing his second solo flight, and he reported a total flying time of 45 hours. As the airplane became airborne during the initial takeoff, it "…violently veered 90 degrees to the left." He immediately applied right rudder and reduced the throttle to idle. The airplane was landed on the left side of the runway and it departed the runway surface, into the grass. It then crossed the intersecting runway. As the airplane approached a taxiway, the pilot brought it to a full stop. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector reported that the excursion resulted in a buckling of the engine firewall. The student pilot did not report any mechanical problems with the airplane at the time of the accident. A review of local wind conditions at the airport did not reveal evidence of gusts.
Factual narrative
According to the student pilot, he was performing his second solo flight, and he reported a total flying time of 45 hours. As the airplane became airborne during the initial takeoff, it "…violently veered 90 degrees to the left." He immediately applied right rudder and reduced the throttle to idle. The airplane was landed on the left side of the runway and it departed the runway surface, into the grass. It then crossed the intersecting runway. As the airplane approached a taxiway, the pilot brought it to a full stop. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector reported that the excursion resulted in a buckling of the engine firewall. The student pilot did not report any mechanical problems with the airplane at the time of the accident. A review of local wind conditions at the airport did not reveal evidence of gusts.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N60155
- Reported as
- Cessna 172S
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S10167
- Built
- 2006
- Airframe hours
- 3,452
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 23, 2014 · 8 hours before
- Departed
- SRQ · Sarasota, FL
- Destination
- SRQ · Sarasota, FL
- Airport
- SRQ · Sarasota Bradenton Intl, runway 04, 5,009 × 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
- 44
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 45 total · 45 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.97 inHg
- Observed at
- SRQ
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 31, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.4 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.