# NTSB GAA16CA416: Cessna 172, N5203H, Palm Springs, CA, August 3, 2016 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: August 3, 2016, 09:50 local (16:50 UTC) - Place: Palm Springs, CA - Coordinates: 33.636943, -116.156387 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.6369&lon=-116.1564&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-aborted after touchdown: Loss of control on ground](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report September 22, 2016 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: General Aviation Accidents - Parties: FAA - NTSB case key (mKey): 93763 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=GAA16CA416 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/93763/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=93763 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA16CA416 ## Probable cause The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during an aborted landing, which resulted in a runway excursion and a nose over in rough terrain. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Student/instructed pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172S, 206 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=2072439), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: directional control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172S, 66 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md?model=2072439), [All aircraft, 3,958 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md) - [Terrain: rough terrain](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03021015): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Contributed to outcome; cases with it: [Cessna 172S, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03021015/cases.md?model=2072439), [All aircraft, 442 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03021015/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing-aborted after touchdown: Loss of control on ground](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 172S, 77 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md?model=2072439), [All aircraft, 4,585 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md) - [Landing-aborted after touchdown: Runway excursion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300); cases with it: [Cessna 172S, 76 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md?model=2072439), [All aircraft, 3,643 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md) - [Landing-aborted after touchdown: Nose over/nose down](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096); cases with it: [Cessna 172S, 34 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096/sequence.md?model=2072439), [All aircraft, 2,287 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096/sequence.md) - [Landing-aborted after touchdown: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Cessna 172S, 118 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=2072439), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis The solo student pilot reported that during the landing roll, the airplane drifted to the right of the runway centerline and he applied left rudder to correct. He further reported that he decided to abort the landing and applied full power. Subsequently, the airplane veered to the left, departed the runway, and nosed over in rough terrain. The student pilot reported that the airplane remained at "full power" through the nose over. The vertical stabilizer and both wings sustained substantial damage. The student pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The Federal Aviation Administration Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge in part states: "To the pilot, "torque" (the left turning tendency of the airplane) is made up of four elements that cause or produce a twisting or rotating motion around at least one of the airplane's three axes. These four elements are: 1. Torque reaction from engine and propeller 2. Corkscrewing effect of the slipstream 3. Gyroscopic action of the propeller 4. Asymmetric loading of the propeller (P-factor)" It is likely that the student pilot did not counteract the left turning tendencies with sufficient right rudder after power was added to abort the landing. ## Factual narrative The solo student pilot reported that during the landing roll, the airplane drifted to the right of the runway centerline and he applied left rudder to correct. He further reported that he decided to abort the landing and applied full power. Subsequently, the airplane veered to the left, departed the runway, and nosed over in rough terrain. The student pilot reported that the airplane remained at "full power" through the nose over. The vertical stabilizer and both wings sustained substantial damage. The student pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The Federal Aviation Administration Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge in part states: "To the pilot, "torque" (the left turning tendency of the airplane) is made up of four elements that cause or produce a twisting or rotating motion around at least one of the airplane's three axes. These four elements are: 1. Torque reaction from engine and propeller 2. Corkscrewing effect of the slipstream 3. Gyroscopic action of the propeller 4. Asymmetric loading of the propeller (P-factor)" It is likely that the student pilot did not counteract the left turning tendencies with sufficient right rudder after power was added to abort the landing. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N5203H](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5203H-2026-06-18), registration cancelled 2026-06-18, S/N 172S9732, built 2004 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 172 (S) - Registry model: [Cessna 172S](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172s) (registry code 2072439) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming IO-360-L2A](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-360-l2a) (registry code 41597, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 172S9732 - Year built: 2007 - Engines: LYCOMING IO-360-L2A 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Operator: M.I. AIR Corp. - Registered owner: Hanseo USA LLC. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, July 13, 2016 - Departed: CNO, CHINO, CA - Destination: TRM, Palm Springs, CA - Airport: TRM, Jacqueline Cochran Rgnl, runway 17, 8,500 × 150 ft, asphalt - Equipment: None ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Student pilot; age 25; injuries: none; student; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 48 total, 48 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: variable at 3 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 95 °F, dew point 64 °F - Altimeter: 29.87 inHg - Observed at: KTRM ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20160803019189A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20160803019189A), Aug 3, 2016: Cessna 172S, Thermal, CA, Substantial damage. On August 3, 2016 at 1400 PDT, the student pilot stated that he was on a solo x-country flight from chino, CA (kcno) to Thermal, CA (ktrm). Upon arrival in trm… ## Other investigations on N5203H (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB WPR25FA264](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR25FA264), Aug 27, 2025: Cessna 172S (N5203H), Los Banos, CA, destroyed, 1 fatal, investigation ongoing ## Docket (3 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 2, 2016, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=93763. 6.6 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 3.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40444176&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - Accident Photos (item 2, .PDF, 322 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40444177&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Accident%20Photos-Master.PDF - FAA_Pilot Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge_Torque and P-Factor (item 3, .PDF, 3.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40444178&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FAA_Pilot%20Handbook%20of%20Aeronautical%20Knowledge_Torque%20and%20P-Factor-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.