- Date
- December 17, 1999, 12:54 local (18:54 UTC)
- Place
- Sugar Land, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N912JRCessna 172S
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 2, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19991217037159A
- Case key
- 48360
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 control of the airplane during the landing roll.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The student pilot stated that he was cleared to land on runway 17. The pilot added that he trimmed the airplane for 60-62 knots and touched down on the runway. Upon landing, the airplane started to shimmy and vibrate. The pilot stated that the airplane then veered to the left. He added that he tried to control the airplane to no avail, and the airplane departed the runway, crossed a taxiway, impacted a taxiway light and a ditch, coming to rest upright.
Factual narrative
On December 17, 1999, at 1254 central standard time, a Cessna 172S airplane, N912JR, was substantially damaged when it impacted a taxiway light and a ditch while landing at the Sugar Land Municipal Airport, Sugar Land, Texas. The student pilot, sole occupant, was not injured. The airplane was registered to DJ's Unlimited, Inc., of Houston, Texas, and operated by the student pilot. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 solo instructional flight. The local flight originated from the West Houston Airport, Houston, Texas, at 1230, and was terminating at Sugar Land Municipal Airport at the time of the accident.
In the enclosed Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2), the student pilot stated that he was cleared to land on runway 17. The pilot added that he trimmed the airplane for 60-62 knots and touched down on the runway. Upon landing, the airplane started a "shimmering or vibration." The pilot stated that the airplane then veered to the left. The pilot further stated that he tried to control the airplane to no avail, and the airplane departed the runway, crossed a taxiway, impacted a taxiway light and a ditch, and came to rest upright.
According to the FAA inspector, who responded to the accident site, the horizontal stabilizer's spar was structurally damaged.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N912JR
- Reported as
- Cessna 172S
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S8200
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Darrell K. Kappmeyer
- Registered owner
- Dj'S Unlimited, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- IWS · West Houston, TX
- Destination
- SGR
- Airport
- SGR · Sugar Land Municipal, runway 17, 8,000 × 100 ft, concrete
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
- Pilot
- Age
- 43
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 40 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SGR
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.