- Date
- March 15, 2024, 16:05 local (20:05 UTC)
- Place
- Melbourne, FL · Runway 5, off to the right about 500 ft down runway
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N838ERTextron 172S
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- 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
- 20240315001899A
- Case key
- 193960
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 directional control while landing in a crosswind.
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 student pilot was on the first leg of his initial solo cross-country flight. He was initially cleared for an approach to runway 9R at the destination airport, with a surface wind reported from 110° at 13 knots. After reporting a 7-mile final for runway 9R, tower controller directed him to land on runway 5. During landing, as the nose wheel touched down, the airplane “weathervaned” to the right. He abruptly added left rudder, which resulted in the airplane’s wheels “side drift[ing]” to the right and he lost control of the airplane. The airplane departed the runway to the right, eventually coming to rest in a grassy area adjacent to the runway. The right wing and upper fuselage were substantially damaged during the runway excursion. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Following the accident, the flight school that operated the airplane reminded its students that when they are switched from a runway with a headwind to one with a crosswind, it is acceptable to decline an air traffic control request if students are uncomfortable with it.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N838ER
- Reported as
- Textron 172S
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S12961
- Built
- 2023
- Airframe hours
- 674
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Inc
- Registered owner
- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · March 11, 2024
- Departed
- DAB · Daytona Beach, FL
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- MLB · Melbourne Orlando International, runway 5, 3,001 × 74 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Stall warning system, Satellite tracking device, Electronic primary flight display, Data recorder, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- 19
- Injuries
- None
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 53 total · 53 in this make and model · 2 as pilot in command · 53 in the last 90 days · 34 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- KMLB
- METAR
- KMLB 151953Z 11010KT 10SM FEW055 26/19 A3003 RMK AO2 SLP169 T02610194
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 3, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.1 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.