- Date
- February 4, 2019, 16:45 local (21:45 UTC)
- Place
- Hanover, VA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N9525VCessna 172
- Defining event
- Taxi-to runway: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 26, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190204000509A
- Case key
- 98954
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 improper decision to release the seat latch to adjust the seat position during taxi, which resulted in his inability to reach the rudder or brake pedals and a subsequent loss of directional control and impact with a ditch and fence.
Findings · 7
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 taxiing to the runway for departure, he attempted to adjust the seat to get a "better view." When he released the seat latch, the seat moved aft, and he was unable to reach the rudder pedals or brake pedals with his feet. He added that he was unable to lean forward because his seat belt was secured. Subsequently, the airplane veered left, and he pulled the engine throttle to idle, but the airplane exited the taxiway into a ditch and struck a wire fence. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and right horizontal stabilizer. 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 while taxiing to the runway for departure, he attempted to adjust the seat to get a "better view". When he released the seat latch, the seat moved aft, and he was unable to reach the rudder pedals or brake pedals with his feet. He added that he was unable to lean forward because his seat belt was secured. Subsequently, the airplane veered left, he pulled the engine throttle to idle, but the airplane exited the taxiway into a ditch and struck a wire fence. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and right horizontal stabilizer. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9525V
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (R)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17280315
- Built
- 1998
- Airframe hours
- 3,899.6
- Engine
- Lycoming IO360 SER A&C, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Heart Of Virginia Aviation Inc, doing business as HOVA Flight Services
- Registered owner
- Heart Of Virginia Aviation Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 28, 2019
- Departed
- OFP · Hanover, VA
- Destination
- OFP · Hanover, VA
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- OFP · Hanover County Muni
- Equipment
- Onboard weather, Stall warning system, Video recording device, Auto-pilot, Data recorder, Handheld GPS
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
- 31
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 34 total · 34 in this make and model · 2 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- KOFP
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 10, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 914 KB 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 N9525V · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.