- Date
- April 23, 1996, 11:15 local (17:15 UTC)
- Place
- Colorado Spgs, CO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N55126Cessna 172P
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 6, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960423047199A
- Case key
- 19813
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 aircraft during a go-around.
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
When returning from a solo training flight the student pilot was making a full stop landing. During the flare for landing the aircraft began to settle and the pilot attempted to go-around. The left wing dropped and the aircraft impacted beside the runway.
Factual narrative
On April 23, 1996, at 1115 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 172P, N55126, was substantially damaged following a loss of control while landing at Colorado Springs Municipal Airport, Colorado Springs, Colorado. The student pilot was not injured. The solo instructional flight was operating under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed.
The pilot, who had accumulated 46 hours total flight time and 3 hours solo time, said he was doing touch-and-go landings on runway 17L after completing his air work in a designated area east of the airport. When he was ready for a full stop landing he said that he requested runway 17L so he would be close to his parking area. According to the pilot, as he flared the aircraft for landing, it began to settle and he attempted to go around. During this attempt, the left wing dropped and the aircraft impacted beside the runway.
The pilot stated that a wind shear alert (LLWAS) began shortly after his accident. A review of weather information at the Colorado Springs Airport, revealed no evidence of an LLWAS alert during the time period and recorded wind, taken as part of a special observation immediately following the accident, was from 190 degrees magnetic at 4 knots. There were no gusts recorded.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N55126
- Reported as
- Cessna 172P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17275116
- Airframe hours
- 6,639
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2J, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Aero Lease Company, doing business as Colorado Skyways
- Registered owner
- Debalco Enterprises, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 11, 1996 · 95 hours before
- Departed
- COS
- Airport
- COS · Colorado Springs, runway 17R, 11,021 × 150 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
- 46
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 46 total · 46 in this make and model · 3 as pilot in command · 24 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- COS, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.