- Date
- May 6, 2019, 13:10 local (20:10 UTC)
- Place
- Auburn, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N734DXCessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 3, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- Case key
- 99385
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 pilot's improper retraction of the flaps during a go-around and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
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 he simulated a power-off emergency landing with a 180º turn to the runway and then trimmed the elevator "fully nose up" and added full flaps. Before touchdown, the airplane drifted right of centerline, and he had "difficulty correcting and maintaining control" of the airplane, so he initiated a go-around. The student added that, subsequently, he "retracted [the] flaps entirely," and the airplane "fell [about 10 ft] to the ground," the nosewheel impacted terrain, and the airplane then nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and empennage. 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, he simulated a power-off emergency landing with a 180º turn to the runway and trimmed the elevator "fully nose up" and added full flaps. Prior to touchdown, the airplane drifted right of centerline and he had "difficulty correcting and maintaining control" of the airplane so he initiated a go around. Subsequently, the student "retracted flaps entirely" and the airplane "fell [about 10 ft] to the ground," the nose wheel impacted the terrain and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and empennage. 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 the time of the accident, the wind was from 220° at 6 knots. The student was landing the airplane on runway 25.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N734DX
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (N)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17268784
- Built
- 1977
- Airframe hours
- 8,252.6
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Citabria Inc
- Registered owner
- Citabria Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 29, 2019
- Departed
- AUN · Auburn, CA
- Destination
- AUN · Auburn, CA
- Airport
- AUN · Auburn Muni, runway 25, 3,700 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B, 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
- Pilot
- Age
- 32
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 106 total · 103 in this make and model · 34 as pilot in command · 46 in the last 90 days · 31 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.88 inHg
- Observed at
- KAUN
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 22, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 MB in all.