- Date
- March 1, 2017, 11:19 local (16:19 UTC)
- Place
- St Petersburg, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N22904Cessna 172S
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Runway excursion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 22, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170301001159A
- Case key
- 94797
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 overcompensation of right rudder pedal application during the landing roll, which resulted in a loss of directional control and impact with runway signage and a fence.
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, during a solo flight, he was performing takeoffs and full-stop landings in the traffic pattern. During the landing roll, he configured the flaps to 0 and applied full power. The airplane pulled to the left, and he overcompensated the right rudder pedal application. "In an immediate reaction to reverse this I applied left rudder to quickly and went immediately to far left causing a fishtailing effect." The airplane exited the runway to the left and struck runway signage and a fence. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing, the landing gear attachment points, the horizontal stabilizer, and the elevator. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The student pilot reported that during a solo flight he was performing takeoffs and full stop landings in the traffic pattern. During the landing roll, he configured the flaps to zero and applied full power. The airplane pulled to the left and he overcompensated the right rudder pedal application. "In an immediate reaction to reverse this I applied left rudder to quickly and went immediately to far left causing a fishtailing effect." The airplane exited the runway to the left and struck runway signage and a fence. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing, the landing gear attachment points, the horizontal stabilizer and the elevator. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N22904
- Reported as
- Cessna 172S (S)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S9961
- Built
- 2005
- Airframe hours
- 4,565.8
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 25, 2017
- Departed
- KSPG · St. Petersburg, FL
- Destination
- KSPG · St. Petersburg, FL
- Airport
- SPG · Albert Whitted, runway 07, 3,677 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Onboard weather, Stall warning system, Angle of attack indicator, Auto-pilot, Heads up display
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
- 60
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 14 total · 14 in this make and model · 14 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.15 inHg
- Observed at
- KSPG
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 30, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.1 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.