- Date
- June 22, 2003, 12:53 local (17:53 UTC)
- Place
- Beaumont, TX
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N753MFCessna 172M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 25, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20030622014359A
- Case key
- 57289
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 instructor's delay in executing a go-around and his failure to maintain aircraft control due to inadequate compensation of wind gusts. A contributing factor was the gusty winds.
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 4,582-hour flight instructor who was occupying the right seat, reduced engine power at mid-field to simulate an engine failure for the 18-hour student pilot that was flying the airplane from the left seat. As the airplane rolled out on final landing. The flight instructor noted that the airplane was "approximately 200 feet high" when the student pilot stated that he felt "uncomfortable." The flight instructor reported that as he took command of the airplane and added full engine power, a gust of wind pushed the airplane to the right and south of the runway. The airplane then struck the ground and bounced. Approximately 80 knots and 60 feet of altitude, the airplane's left wing dropped, and the flight instructor then "chopped the power and fuel." The airplane impacted the ground and come to rest upright off the runway. At the time of the accident, the wind was reported from 120 degrees and 9 knots.
Factual narrative
On June 22, 2003, about 1253 central daylight time, a Cessna 172M single-engine airplane, N753MF, was substantially damaged when it impacted the ground between runway 12 and runway 16, following a loss of control while practicing a simulated forced landing at Southeast Texas Regional Airport (BPT), near Beaumont, Texas. The flight instructor received serious injuries, and his student pilot received minor injuries. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight, which originally departed BPT approximately 1245.
According to the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2), the 4,582-hour flight instructor who was occupying the right seat, reduced engine power at mid-field to simulate an engine failure for the 18-hour student pilot that was flying the airplane from the left seat. As the airplane rolled out on final landing to runway 12 (6,750 x 150 feet), the flight instructor noted that the airplane was "approximately 200 feet high" when the student pilot stated that he felt "uncomfortable." The flight instructor reported that as he took command of the airplane and applied full engine power, a gust of wind pushed the airplane to the right and south of the runway. The flight instructor further reported that the airplane then struck the ground and bounced. Approximately 80 knots and 60 feet of altitude, the airplane's left wing dropped, and he then "chopped the power and fuel." The airplane came to rest in an area south of the intersection of runway 12 and runway 16.
At 1253, the weather observation facility at BPT reported the wind from 120 degrees at 9 knots.
Examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector, who responded to the accident site, revealed structural damage to both wing spars.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N753MF
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 64109
- Airframe hours
- 8,641
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 30, 2003 · 40 hours before
- Departed
- BPT · Beaumont, TX
- Destination
- BPT · Beaumont, TX
- Airport
- BPT · Southeast Texas Regional, runway 12, 6,750 × 150 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 51
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- March 20, 2003
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 4,582 total · 1,466 in this make and model · 4,542 as pilot in command · 26 in the last 90 days · 16 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 42
- Injuries
- Minor
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 18 total · 18 in this make and model · 7 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 77 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- BPT
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 4, 2003, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.5 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.