# NTSB ERA22LA113: Cessna 172, N1766V, Waynesboro, VA, January 30, 2022

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report
- Date: January 30, 2022, 18:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place: Waynesboro, VA
- Coordinates: 38.077319, -78.944553 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.0773&lon=-78.9446&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Landing: Runway excursion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 1 uninjured
- 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
- NTSB case key (mKey): 104581
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA22LA113
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/104581/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=104581
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA22LA113

## Probable cause

The student pilot’s loss of directional control while landing.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Student/instructed pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172M, 123 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=2072418), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md)
- [Performance/control parameters: directional control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172M, 59 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md?model=2072418), [All aircraft, 3,958 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Landing: Runway excursion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 172M, 51 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md?model=2072418), [All aircraft, 3,643 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md)

## Analysis

The student pilot reported that during the landing rollout of his first solo landing, the airplane veered left, impacted a snowbank, and came to rest inverted, which resulted in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and rudder. The pilot reported that the airplane had no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N1766V](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N1766V), registered now, S/N 17263744, built 1974 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172 (M)
- Registry model: [Cessna 172M](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172m) (registry code 2072418) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (registry code 41508, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 17263744
- Year built: 1974
- Engines: Lycoming O-320 reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Instructional, Part 91
- Operator: Eagles Nest Flight Services LLC
- Registered owner: Eagles Nest Flight Services LLC
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Destination: Same as departure
- Airport: W13, Eagle'S Nest, runway 24, 2,004 × 50 ft, asphalt
- Equipment: Unknown

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 18; injuries: none; student; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; seat: left; flight hours: 23.6 total, 23.6 in this make and model

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 190° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: 9,000 ft overcast
- Temperature: 27 °F, dew point 10 °F
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observed at: SHD, 11 nm away
- METAR: KSHD 302315Z AUTO 19004KT 10SM OVC090 M03/M12 A2998 RMK AO2 T10261119

## 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 20220130001319A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20220130001319A), Jan 30, 2022: Cessna 172M, Waynesboro, VA, Substantial damage. The student pilot was on his first solo flight. After performing his first traffic pattern and a normal first landing, the airplane veered off the left side of…

## Docket (5 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 25, 2022, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=104581. 31.5 MB in all.

- Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 1 page, 92 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13604839&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Memorandum%20for%20Record%20-%20Request%20for%206120-Rel.pdf
- CFI statement (item 2, PDF, 2 pages, 4.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13609075&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=CFI%20statement-Rel.pdf
- FAA inspector's statement (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 122 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13605343&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=MFR%20FAA-Rel.pdf
- Pilot logbook (item 4, PDF, 9 pages, 26.5 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13645335&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Pilot%20logbook_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Photos (item 5, PDF, 5 pages, 849 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13645143&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photos-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.