- Date
- October 1, 2015, 20:10 local (Oct 2, 2015, 03:10 UTC)
- Place
- McMinnville, OR
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N20488Cessna 172M
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report November 5, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION
- FAA report
- 20151001016679A
- Case key
- 92147
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 flight instructor's failure to correct the student pilot's approach path during the final approach, which resulted in a collision with runway threshold lights. Contributing to the accident was the student pilot's failure to attain and maintain the recommended approach path.
Findings · 5
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The student pilot reported that on his first night training flight he was practicing takeoffs and landings. He stated that during his third approach, as he was turning from base to final, the precision approach path indicator (PAPI) displayed four red lights, indicating that he was below the recommended approach path. The flight instructor told him that he was too low and to add power. The student pilot added power and the far left PAPI light started to turn from red to white. He reported that on short final, he reduced engine power to idle and that during touchdown, the airplane collided with a runway threshold light. The airplane sustained substantial damage to horizontal stabilizer spar. The flight instructor reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The student pilot reported that on his first night training flight he was practicing takeoffs and landings. He stated that during his third approach, as he was turning from base to final, the precision approach path indicator (PAPI) displayed four red lights, indicating that he was below the recommended approach path. The flight instructor told him that he was too low and to add power. The student pilot added power and the far left PAPI light started to turn from red to white. He reported that on short final, he reduced engine power to idle and that during touchdown, the airplane collided with a runway threshold light. The airplane sustained substantial damage to horizontal stabilizer spar. The flight instructor reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N20488
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17261331
- Built
- 1973
- Airframe hours
- 4,857
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- David F Waggoner, doing business as Willamette Aviation
- Registered owner
- David F Waggoner
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 27, 2015
- Departed
- UAO · Aurora, OR
- Destination
- MMV · McMinnville, OR
- Airport
- MMV · Mc Minnville Muni, runway 22, 5,420 × 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 42
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 43 total · 3.7 in this make and model · 3.7 as pilot in command
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 28, 2015
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,520 total · 522 in this make and model · 1,445 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 220° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
- Observed at
- KMMV
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 29, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.5 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.
Other investigations on N20488 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.