- Date
- January 29, 2019, 09:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Reno, NV
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N670CSCessna 172
- Defining event
- Takeoff-rejected takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 3, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190129000449A
- Case key
- 98917
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 a rejected takeoff, which resulted in a runway excursion and impact with a ditch.
Findings · 3
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, during the takeoff roll, about 65 knots, he applied aft pressure on the control yoke, and the airplane started to shake. The airplane continued to shake as he applied more aft pressure, so he rejected the takeoff. As he reduced power and released the pressure on the control yoke, the airplane veered right, but he overcorrected, and the airplane veered left, right, and then left again. The airplane exited the runway and impacted a ditch. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage. The student reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The solo student pilot reported that, during the takeoff roll, about 65 knots, he applied aft pressure on the control yoke, the airplane started to shake. The airplane continued to shake as he applied more aft pressure, so he rejected the takeoff. As he reduced power and released the pressure on the control yoke, the airplane veered right but he overcorrected and the airplane veered left, right, then again left. The airplane exited the runway and impacted a ditch. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage. The student reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N670CS
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (S)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S9098
- Built
- 2002
- Airframe hours
- 4,426
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Flying Start Aero Services, LLC
- Registered owner
- Flying Start Aero Services, LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 24, 2019
- Departed
- RNO · Reno, NV
- Destination
- MEV · Reno, NV
- Airport
- MEV · Minden-Tahoe, runway 34, 7,399 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Auto-pilot, 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
- 30
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 32 total · 32 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 9,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 39 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- KMEV
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 31, 2019, 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.
Other investigations on N670CS · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.