- Date
- March 11, 2019, 13:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Oskaloosa, IA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N334SLCessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 6, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190311001149A
- Case key
- 99142
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 landing with a left quartering tailwind, which resulted in a runway excursion, impact with a snowbank, and a nose-over.
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, during the landing roll, while he was reaching for the flap levers, the airplane veered left, exited the runway, struck a snowbank, and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer. The student reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airport's automated weather observation station reported that, about 15 minutes after the accident, the wind was from 170° at 11 knots. The student landed the airplane on runway 31.
Factual narrative
The solo student pilot reported that during the landing roll, while reaching for the flap levers, the airplane veered left, exited the runway to the left, struck a snowbank, and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer. The student reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation station located on the airport reported that, about 15 minutes after the accident, the wind was from 170° at 11 knots. The airplane landed on runway 31.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N334SL
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (H)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17256385
- Built
- 1967
- Engine
- Continental O-300D, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Midwest Aviation Service Inc
- Registered owner
- Midwest Aviation Service Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 3, 2018 · 3,565 hours before
- Departed
- OOA · Oskaloosa, IA
- Destination
- OOA · Oskaloosa, IA
- Airport
- OOA · Oskaloosa Muni, runway 31, 4,012 × 75 ft, concrete
- Equipment
- None
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
- 39
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 22 total · 22 in this make and model · 2 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 39 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- KOOA
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 27, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 981 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.