- Date
- January 8, 2003, 12:45 local (18:45 UTC)
- Place
- Springdale, AR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N142MECessna 172S
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 2, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Flight Standards District Office (SW11)
- FAA report
- 20030108036899A
- Case key
- 56302
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 pilot's failure to maintain directional control while landing. A contributing factor was the prevailing crosswind.
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 40-hour student pilot was not able to maintain directional control while landing on Runway 18. The student pilot reported, "I had my wind correction in with the right wing dipped and the left rudder pushed. When I landed, I touched the right wheel down and then the left wheel. As soon as I touched the left wheel down, I [applied the brake] and ran off the left side of the runway." The aircraft veered off the runway into the grass, crossed a parallel taxiway, struck a culvert, and came to rest against a concrete ditch. At the time of the accident, the winds at the airport were reported from 240 degrees at 9 knots.
Factual narrative
On January 8, 2003, at approximately 1245 central standard time, a Cessna 172S airplane, N142ME, registered to a private individual and operated by Aviation Enterprises Inc., of Springfield, Missouri, was substantially damaged following a loss of control upon landing on Runway 18 at the Springdale Municipal Airport (ASG), near Springdale, Arkansas. The solo student pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan was filed for the Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional solo cross country flight. The flight originated at 1145 from the Springfield Municipal Airport, Springfield, Missouri.
The 40-hour student pilot, who had an accumulated 12 hours in the accident aircraft, reported, "I had my wind correction in with the right wing dipped and the left rudder pushed. When I landed, I touched the right wheel down and then the left wheel. As soon as I touched the left wheel down, I caught the break and ran off the left side of the runway." The aircraft veered off the runway into the grass, crossed a parallel taxiway, struck a culvert, and came to rest against a concrete ditch.
The FAA inspector, who responded to the accident site, examined the wreckage and reported that the nose gear had buckled the engine firewall.
At the time of the accident, the winds at ASG were reported from 240 degrees at 9 knots, 10 statute miles visibility, clear sky, temperature at 15 degrees Celsius, dewpoint 3 degrees Celsius, and an altimeter setting of 29.98 inches Mercury. The density altitude was calculated by the Investigator-In-Charge at 1,617 feet.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N142ME
- Reported as
- Cessna 172S
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S8425
- Airframe hours
- 1,551.4
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Aviation Enterprises Inc.
- Registered owner
- Melvin Humphreys
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 27, 2002 · 32.1 hours before
- Departed
- SGF · Springfield, MO
- Destination
- ASG
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- ASG · Springdale Municipal Airport, runway 18, 5,302 × 75 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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 18
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 40 total · 12 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 250,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.97 inHg
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 31, 2003, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 349 KB 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.
Other investigations on N142ME · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.