- Date
- January 2, 2016, 10:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Newton, IA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N947SPCessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing-aborted after touchdown: Runway excursion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 5, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Adminsitration, Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20160102000059A
- Case key
- 92525
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 control during the takeoff, resulting in a runway excursion, and airplane nose over.
Findings · 6
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
According to the pilot, his intent was to perform a touch and go landing on a runway with patches of snow extending from the approach end to the departure end. The pilot reported that the touchdown and landing roll were uneventful. He reported that as he aborted the landing and configured the airplane for takeoff, he retracted the flaps, advanced the throttle and applied right rudder. He recalled that when he advanced the throttle, the airplane immediately made a sharp left turn, exited the runway to the left, and impacted the residual snow that was previously cleared from the runway. The airplane nosed over and the pilot exited the runway under his own power. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and both wings. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or anomalies prior to or during the flight that would have prevented normal flight operation.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, his intent was to perform a touch and go landing on a runway with patches of snow extending from the approach end to the departure end. The pilot reported that the touchdown and landing roll were uneventful. He reported that as he aborted the landing and configured the airplane for takeoff, he retracted the flaps, advanced the throttle and applied right rudder. He recalled that when he advanced the throttle, the airplane immediately made a sharp left turn, exited the runway to the left, and impacted the residual snow that was previously cleared from the runway. The airplane nosed over and the pilot exited the runway under his own power. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and both wings. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or anomalies prior to or during the flight that would have prevented normal flight operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N947SP
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (S)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S8142
- Built
- 1999
- Airframe hours
- 8,347
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Central Iowa Aviation LLC
- Registered owner
- Central Iowa Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 14, 2015
- Departed
- IKV · Ankeny, IA
- Destination
- TNU · Newton, IA
- Airport
- TNU · Newton Muni-Earl Johnson Field, runway 32, 5,599 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot
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
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 9, 2015
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 121 total · 121 in this make and model · 14 as pilot in command · 21 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 16 °F, dew point 14 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.18 inHg
- Observed at
- TNU
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 28, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.9 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 N947SP · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.