- Date
- December 24, 2019, 16:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Cortland, NY
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N7450RPiper PA28
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 16, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA / FSDO
- FAA report
- 20191224018929A
- Case key
- 100988
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 the runway heading during takeoff, which resulted in impact with a snowbank and a subsequent nose-over.
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 solo student pilot reported that, while practicing a soft-field takeoff, the airplane entered ground effect and drifted left of the runway centerline. The airplane continued to drift left, struck a snowbank, and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage, and right wing. The student reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The solo student pilot reported that, while practicing a soft field takeoff, the airplane entered into ground effect and drifted left of runway center line. The airplane continued to drift left, struck a snowbank, landed in the snow adjacent the runway and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage, and right wing. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7450R
- Reported as
- Piper PA28 (140)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-21994
- Built
- 1966
- Airframe hours
- 8,125
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 9, 2019
- Departed
- N03 · Cortland, NY
- Destination
- N03 · Cortland, NY
- Airport
- N03 · Cortland County-Chase Field, runway 06, 3,400 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, ADS-B, Stall warning system
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
- 46
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 34.7 total · 34.7 in this make and model · 2.2 as pilot in command · 14.6 in the last 90 days · 4.5 in the last 30 days · 1.2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 32 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.18 inHg
- Observed at
- ITH, 13 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 3, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.3 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.