- Date
- April 15, 2016, 18:32 local (23:32 UTC)
- Place
- Stillwater, OK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2663XCessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 15, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160415005139A
- Case key
- 93041
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 directional control during the landing roll in gusty crosswind conditions, which resulted in a runway excursion and collision with a runway distance remaining sign.
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 solo student pilot reported that while landing in gusty crosswind conditions the airplane bounced multiples times on touchdown. The student pilot further reported that the airplane drifted off the runway to the right and impacted a runway distance remaining sign with the right elevator, which resulted in substantial damage to the elevator. An automated weather observing station at the accident airport, about the time of the accident, reported the wind at 120 degrees true at 16 knots, gusting to 21 knots, which resulted in a 14 knot crosswind component for the landing on runway 17. The student pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The flight school's policies and procedures in part states: "All flights, excluding stage 2 pilot, will use the "maximum demonstrated" crosswind in the aircraft [Pilot's Operating Handbook] POH/ [Airplane Flying Manual] AFM as the maximum allowable crosswind takeoff limit." The student pilot was not a "stage 2 pilot" and had no additional crosswind limitations listed in his logbook endorsements. The Cessna 172R maximum demonstrated crosswind was listed as 15 knots. According to the flight instructor, the student pilot has demonstrated satisfactory performance in previous instructional flights under similar wind conditions.
Factual narrative
The solo student pilot reported that while landing in gusty crosswind conditions the airplane bounced multiples times on touchdown. The student pilot further reported that the airplane drifted off the runway to the right and impacted a runway distance remaining sign with the right elevator, which resulted in substantial damage to the elevator. An automated weather observing station at the accident airport, about the time of the accident, reported the wind at 120 degrees true at 16 knots, gusting to 21 knots, which resulted in a 14 knot crosswind component for the landing on runway 17. The student pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The flight school's policies and procedures in part states: "All flights, excluding stage 2 pilot, will use the "maximum demonstrated" crosswind in the aircraft [Pilot's Operating Handbook] POH/ [Airplane Flying Manual] AFM as the maximum allowable crosswind takeoff limit." The student pilot was not a "stage 2 pilot" and had no additional crosswind limitations listed in his logbook endorsements. The Cessna 172R maximum demonstrated crosswind was listed as 15 knots. According to the flight instructor, the student pilot has demonstrated satisfactory performance in previous instructional flights under similar wind conditions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2663X
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (R)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17280643
- Built
- 1999
- Airframe hours
- 10,924.3
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Spartan Education LLC.
- Registered owner
- Spartan Education LLC.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 29, 2016
- Departed
- MLC · McAlester, OK
- Destination
- SWO · Stillwater, OK
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- SWO · Stillwater Rgnl, runway 17, 7,401 × 100 ft, concrete
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 25
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 47 total · 47 in this make and model · 47 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 16 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.81 inHg
- Observed at
- KSWO
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 9, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.2 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.