FTW02LA058

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 172 · New Braunfels, TX · December 17, 2001

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
December 17, 2001, 15:25 local (21:25 UTC)
Place
New Braunfels, TX
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N5181RCessna 172
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report July 2, 2002
Report
Approved by Office Director
Parties
Federal Aviation Administration
FAA report
20011217037469A
Case key
53936

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing roll. A contributing factor was the soft terrain.

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.

Loss of control - on ground/waterLanding - roll
Directional control - not maintainedPilot in commandCause
On ground/water encounter with terrain/waterLanding - roll
Terrain condition - softFactor
Nose overLanding - roll

Analysis

This was the 30-hour student pilot's second supervised solo flight. The student pilot stated that he set up for a normal approach to runway 36, landing on the first 1,000 feet of the runway. Just after landing, the airplane veered to the right 15 - 20 degrees. The airplane exited the right side of the runway, crossed a taxiway, impacted soft terrain, nosed over, and came to rest inverted. The wind at the time of the accident was reported to be from 350 degrees at 7 knots.

Factual narrative

On December 17, 2001, at 1525 central standard time, a Cessna 172 single-engine airplane, N5181R, was substantially damaged when it impacted soft terrain following a loss of directional control during the landing roll at the New Braunfels Municipal Airport, New Braunfels, Texas. The airplane was owned and operated by Wright Flyers Holding LLC of San Antonio, Texas. The student pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. 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 was originating at the time of the accident.

In a telephone interview with the NTSB investigator-in-charge, the 30-hour student pilot and his instructor, who witnessed the accident, reported that this was the student's first landing during his second supervised solo. A left hand traffic pattern was flown to runway 36. The student pilot stated that after landing, within the first 1,000 feet of the 5,364 foot runway, the aircraft, "for some reason," veered 15 - 20 degrees to the right. The airplane exited the runway, proceeded across a taxiway, impacted soft terrain, and nosed over, coming to rest inverted. The wind at the time of the accident was reported to be from 350 degrees at 7 knots. The left wing's rear spar sustained structural damage during the impact.

Aircraft

Registration
N5181R
Reported as
Cessna 172
Category
Airplane
Serial number
17263398
Airframe hours
6,475.5
Engine
Lycoming O-320 E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Instructional · Part 91
Registered owner
Wright Flyers Holdings LLC
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
100 hour · November 16, 2001 · 71.8 hours before
Departed
BAZ · New Braunfels, TX
Airport
BAZ · New Braunfels Muni Airport, runway 36, 5,364 × 100 ft, asphalt

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
23
Injuries
None
Certificate
Student
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
Seat
Front
Flight hours
24 total · 24 in this make and model · 1 as pilot in command · 24 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
350° at 7 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
66 °F, dew point 37 °F
Altimeter
30.18 inHg
Observed at
BAZ

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.