- Date
- December 10, 2015, 10:45 local (16:45 UTC)
- Place
- Abilene, TX
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9868QCessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 5, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20151210019589A
- Case key
- 92439
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 abrupt control inputs during the flare, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor's lack of over sight and delayed reaction while landing.
Findings · 4
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 flight instructor reported that during a simulated power off emergency landing, the student pilot flared "too abruptly" causing the airplane to balloon about 20 feet above the ground. The flight instructor reported that the student pilot applied full power, placed the carburetor heat to the closed positioned, and "pitched up". The flight instructor reported that he did not react to the control inputs of the student pilot "fast" enough. The airplane stalled, rotated left, and impacted the ground with the left wing. The student pilot reported that while landing he applied back pressure on the yoke during flare, but "must have pulled back too much", causing the airplane to balloon. He reported that he attempted to allow the airplane to settle back to the runway. The student pilot reported that the flight instructor said that "he had the controls". The student pilot removed his left hand from the yoke, his feet away from the rudder pedals, and took his right hand away from the throttle. The student pilot reported that the flight instructor added full power to attempt to go-around subsequently the airplane turned left and the left wing impacted the ground, which resulted in substantial damage to left wing and fuselage. The flight instructor reported that there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor reported that during a simulated power off emergency landing, the student pilot flared "too abruptly" causing the airplane to balloon about 20 feet above the ground. The flight instructor reported that the student pilot applied full power, placed the carburetor heat to the closed positioned, and "pitched up". The flight instructor reported that he did not react to the control inputs of the student pilot "fast" enough. The airplane stalled, rotated left, and impacted the ground with the left wing. The student pilot reported that while landing he applied back pressure on the yoke during flare, but "must have pulled back too much", causing the airplane to balloon. He reported that he attempted to allow the airplane to settle back to the runway. The student pilot reported that the flight instructor said that "he had the controls". The student pilot removed his left hand from the yoke, his feet away from the rudder pedals, and took his right hand away from the throttle. The student pilot reported that the flight instructor added full power to attempt to go-around subsequently the airplane turned left and the left wing impacted the ground, which resulted in substantial damage to left wing and fuselage. The flight instructor reported that there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9868Q
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (M)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17265812
- Built
- 1975
- Airframe hours
- 1,018.1
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 13, 2015
- Departed
- 82TS · Abilene, TX
- Destination
- 82TS · Abilene, TX
- Airport
- 82TS · Elmdale Airpark, runway 17, 2,900 × 40 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- 68
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Waiver time limited special
- Last flight review
- April 28, 2015
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 14,475 total · 300 in this make and model · 14,224 as pilot in command · 50.7 in the last 90 days · 21.5 in the last 30 days · 6.3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 55
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Student
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 15 total · 15 in this make and model · 15 in the last 90 days · 5.1 in the last 30 days · 1.1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.85 inHg
- Observed at
- KABI, 3 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 27, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 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 N9868Q · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.