- Date
- February 18, 2017, 13:15 local (18:15 UTC)
- Place
- Statesville, NC
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N738DSCessna 172N
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 15, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- Case key
- 94773
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
A loss of airplane control during takeoff for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.
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 student pilot was on the second leg of a solo cross-county training flight. During the landing flare at the destination airport, he landed the airplane "hard," and it bounced twice before he was able to regain control. He taxied back to the beginning of the runway and conducted a run-up. Noting no anomalies, he taxied onto the runway and started the takeoff roll. During the takeoff, he pulled back on the yoke "too far," and the airplane climbed between 30 and 40 ft before entering an aerodynamic stall and colliding with the ground. The nose landing gear collapsed, and the propeller struck the ground, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. It could not be determined whether the airplane incurred damage during the hard landing that would have impacted the pilot's ability to maintain pitch control during the subsequent takeoff; therefore, the reason for the loss of control could not be determined.
Factual narrative
The student pilot was on the second leg of a solo cross county training flight. During the flare at the destination airport, he landed the airplane "hard" and it bounced twice before he was able to regained control. He taxied back to the beginning of the runway and conducted a run-up. Noting no anomalies, he taxied onto the runway and started the takeoff roll. During the takeoff, he pulled back on the yoke "too far" and the airplane climbed between 30 and 40 feet before entering an aerodynamic stall and colliding with the ground. The nose gear collapsed and the propeller struck the ground, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane before the landing. It could not be determined whether the airplane incurred damage during the hard landing that would have impacted the pilot's ability to maintain pitch control during takeoff.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N738DS
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N (N)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17269901
- Built
- 1977
- Airframe hours
- 10,509
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 19, 2017
- Departed
- SVH · Statesville, NC
- Destination
- SVH · Statesville, NC
- Airport
- SVH · Statesville Rgnl, runway 28, 7,003 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Unknown
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 53 total · 44 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.88 inHg
- Observed at
- SVH
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 27, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.6 MB in all.