- Date
- May 12, 2017, 13:50 local (17:50 UTC)
- Place
- Boca Raton, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N23759Cessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 20, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170512004949I
- Case key
- 95168
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 of the airplane while landing with a tailwind.
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 on final, "there was turbulence," and "just before landing [he] felt a strong crosswind pushing [him] to the right." Subsequently, the airplane touched down, veered off the right side of the runway, encountered a small ditch, and impacted a fence. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the rudder. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation system at the accident site reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 180° at 10 knots. The pilot landed on runway 5.
Factual narrative
The solo student pilot reported that while on final "there was turbulence" and "just before landing [he] felt a strong crosswind pushing [him] to the right". Subsequently, the airplane touched down, veered off the right side of the runway, encountered a small ditch, and impacted a fence. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the rudder. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation system at the accident site, about the time of the accident, reported the wind at 180° at 10 knots. The pilot landed on runway 5.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N23759
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (R)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17281275
- Built
- 2006
- Airframe hours
- 4,801.7
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 11, 2017
- Departed
- BCT · Boca Raton, FL
- Destination
- BCT · Boca Raton, FL
- Airport
- BCT · Boca Raton, runway 5, 6,276 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 43
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 53 total · 53 in this make and model · 1.2 as pilot in command · 25.7 in the last 90 days · 8.6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- BCT, 1 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 28, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.9 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.