# NTSB ERA18LA257: Cessna 172, N6950A, Winter Haven, FL, September 24, 2018 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report - Date: September 24, 2018, 09:57 local (13:57 UTC) - Place: Winter Haven, FL - Coordinates: 28.057777, -81.758613 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.0578&lon=-81.7586&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing: Landing area overshoot](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/380) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 98338 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA18LA257 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/98338/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=98338 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA18LA257 ## Probable cause The student pilot’s improper pitch attitude control during the initial climb, which resulted in a loss of airspeed, and his subsequent decision to conduct a 180° turn following the perceived anomaly, which resulted in a runway overrun. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Info processing/decision: identification/recognition](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041510): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Student/instructed pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172, 5 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041510/cases.md?model=2072402), [All aircraft, 559 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041510/cases.md) - [Action: incorrect action performance](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Student/instructed pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172, 5 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015/cases.md?model=2072402), [All aircraft, 1,386 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Initial climb: Miscellaneous/other](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/900); cases with it: [Cessna 172, 6 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/900/sequence.md?model=2072402), [All aircraft, 1,556 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/900/sequence.md) - [Initial climb: Attempted remediation/recovery](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060); cases with it: [Cessna 172, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060/sequence.md?model=2072402), [All aircraft, 1,422 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060/sequence.md) - [Landing: Landing area overshoot](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/380) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 172, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/380/sequence.md?model=2072402), [All aircraft, 400 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/380/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Runway excursion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300); cases with it: [Cessna 172, 10 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md?model=2072402), [All aircraft, 3,643 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Cessna 172, 36 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=2072402), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis The student pilot was conducting a supervised solo flight in the airport traffic pattern. Each of the previous two takeoff and landings were uneventful. During the initial climb on the third takeoff, the student observed the airspeed rapidly decrease. He declared an emergency, lowered the nose, and turned the airplane 180° to land on the runway. The airplane overran the end of the runway and impacted a fence, resulting in substantial damage to the windshield and left wing. The student’s instructor witnessed the takeoff and stated that the airplane’s angle of attack was excessively high and that there would have been adequate runway remaining for the student to land straight ahead instead of turning 180°. Postaccident examination of the engine did not reveal any anomalies. It is likely that the student pilot’s excessively nose-high pitch attitude during the takeoff resulted in the observed loss of airspeed. ## Factual narrative On September 24, 2018, at 0957 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172, N6950A, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Winter Haven, Florida. The student pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The student pilot stated that the accident flight was his third flight around the airport traffic pattern with his flight instructor observing from the ground. Each of the previous two takeoffs and landings were uneventful. During the third takeoff from runway 5, the acceleration and airspeed appeared normal during the climb, but after reaching about 300 ft above the ground, the airspeed began quickly decreasing from 60 knots to 50 knots. He declared an emergency, lowered the nose, and turned the airplane 180° to land on the runway. He reported he was “far down the runway” before he could get the airplane on the ground, and, once he landed, he could not stop the airplane within the remaining runway distance. The airplane continued off the runway and impacted a perimeter fence before coming to a stop. The student pilot reported that in the initial climb, “the plane started losing power;” however, he did not report any other anomalies or a loss of engine rpm. The instructor stated that the student was flying well during the previous two takeoffs and landings, but during the third takeoff, the airplane appeared to be at an excessively high angle of attack during the climb, and the airspeed was likely “bleeding off.” The airplane was directly over the runway when the student turned 180° even though “he had plenty of runway ahead of him.” After the accident, the instructor reviewed the accident flight with the student and during subsequent flight instruction, they performed a similar scenario to show the effects of airplane performance, situational awareness, and how to safely recover from excessive angle of attack. Photographs provided by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the left wing and windshield sustained substantial damage. The instructor, who was also the airplane owner, reported that during postaccident maintenance and repair, no mechanical irregularities were observed with the engine or airplane. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N6950A](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N6950A), registered now, S/N 29050, built 1956 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 172 (Undesignat) - Registry model: [Cessna 172](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172) (registry code 2072402) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental 0-300 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-0-300-series) (registry code 17022, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 29050 - Year built: 1956 - Airframe hours: 4302.48 - Engines: Continental O-300 SER 145 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, January 25, 2018 - Departed: GIF, Winter Haven, FL - Destination: GIF, Winter Haven, FL - Airport: GIF, Winter Haven'S Gilbert, runway 23, 5,006 × 100 ft, asphalt - Equipment: Unknown ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 59; injuries: none; student; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 27.7 total, 23.7 in this make and model, 1.5 as pilot in command, 21.2 in the last 90 days, 8.5 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 100° at 8 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 82 °F, dew point 75 °F - Altimeter: 30.07 inHg - Observed at: GIF ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20180924016439A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180924016439A), Sep 24, 2018: Cessna 172, Winter Haven, FL, Substantial damage. Student pilot took off on runway 5 and on climb out the aircraft felt like it was not climbing at the proper rate. Pilot glanced at the instruments and saw the… ## Docket (5 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 28, 2022, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=98338. 1.5 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 11 pages, 782 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=6967502&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120-Pilots%20Accident%20Report_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Record of conversation_flight instructor (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 138 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12577907&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Memo%20of%20Conversation_Instructor-Rel.pdf - Record of conversation_student pilot (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 123 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12577333&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Memo%20of%20Conversation_Student-Rel.pdf - Memo for record_flight instructor (item 4, PDF, 1 page, 20 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=10018129&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Memo%20for%20Record_Flight%20Instructor-Rel.pdf - Photo array_ accident site and damage (item 5, PDF, 3 pages, 409 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12579879&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Accident%20Site%20and%20Damage%20Photographs-Rel.pdf From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.