- Date
- May 13, 2021, 17:50 local (22:50 UTC)
- Place
- Gulf Shores, AL · Abeam the west end of the fixed distance marker about 261 ft north of the north edge of the runway
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N5170KCessna 172
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR go-around: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20210513002029A
- Case key
- 103085
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 flight instructor’s delayed remedial action, which resulted in a loss of control during an attempted go-around.
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
The flight instructor and student pilot were approaching the runway for landing. The flight instructor described that during the landing flare, the airplane drifted to the left of the runway centerline, and as the student attempted to apply corrective control inputs, the flight instructor told the student to abort the landing. After the student hesitated, the flight instructor took control of the airplane while it was “…in a nose high attitude, slow and banked left.” The flight instructor increased engine power to full, retracted the flaps to 20 degrees, but noted that the airplane was slow and struggling to climb. The flight instructor then lost directional control of the airplane and elected to continue straight ahead and land. The airplane came to rest in a grassy area off the left side of the runway and the fuselage and wings were substantially damaged. The flight instructor stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5170K
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (N)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17273997
- Built
- 1980
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Skywarrior Flight Training Inc
- Registered owner
- Skywarrior Flight Training Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 8, 2021 · 53 hours before
- Departed
- CQF · Fairhope, AL
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- JKA · Jack Edwards Ntl, runway 09/27, 6,962 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic primary flight display, 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 25
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 21, 2021
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,244 total · 604 in this make and model · 1,207 as pilot in command · 230 in the last 90 days · 45 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 23
- Injuries
- None
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 3 total · 3 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,800 ft broken
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.14 inHg
- Observed at
- KJKA
- METAR
- KJKA 132255Z AUTO 02003KT 10SM BKN038 23/14 A3014 RMK AO2 T02250140
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 10, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.5 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.