- Date
- March 28, 1997, 10:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Glenwood Spgs, CO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7273GCessna 172K
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 25, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970328003989A
- Case key
- 20186
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 airplane directional control, and his use of excessive rudder control.
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 pilot said he had made six takeoffs and landings with his instructor, and this was his first solo flight at Glenwood Springs, Colorado, Airport (he had previously soloed at Eagle and Rifle, Colorado). The pilot said the wind was calm and his landing approach was stable. After the airplane touched down, it began to drift to the right of the runway. The pilot said he applied left rudder but over corrected. The airplane veered to the left, and the pilot elected to abort the landing and added power. The airplane departed the left side of the runway, struck a tree, and nosed over.
Factual narrative
On March 28, 1997, approximately 1000 mountain standard time, a Cessna 172K, N7273G, was substantially damaged when a student pilot attempted to land on runway 32, Glenwood Springs, Colorado. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the instructional flight conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated at Glenwood Springs Municipal Airport approximately 0900.
The following is based on a telephone conversation with, and the written accident report from, the pilot. He said he had made six takeoffs and landings with his instructor, and this was his first solo flight at Glenwood Springs Airport (he had previously soloed at Eagle and Rifle, Colorado). He said that the wind was calm and his landing approach was stable. He selected 30 degrees of flaps. When the airplane touched down, it began to drift to the right. The pilot applied left rudder and over corrected. The airplane veered to the left, and he elected to abort the landing and added power. The airplane departed the left side of the runway, struck a tree, and nosed over.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7273G
- Reported as
- Cessna 172K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17258973
- Airframe hours
- 3,783
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-EZD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Glenwood Aviation, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 1, 1997 · 50 hours before
- Airport
- GWS · Glenwood Springs, runway 32, 3,305 × 50 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
- 37
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 29 total · 25 in this make and model · 29 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 39 °F, dew point 12 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- EGE, 26 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.