- Date
- July 14, 2019, 09:21 local (13:21 UTC)
- Place
- Elkton, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N35585Cessna 172
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 13, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190714011679A
- Case key
- 99842
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 under instruction's failure to follow the flight instructor’s directions and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action and subsequent 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 flight instructor reported that he had demonstrated a simulated engine failure and recovery at altitude to the pilot under instruction, and he subsequently asked the pilot to perform a simulated engine failure and recovery. The instructor allowed the pilot to descend over an open field, and he recalled instructing the pilot to "recover" and abort the landing about 200 ft above ground level. However, the pilot failed to do so, and the flight instructor took the controls. The airplane subsequently stalled, impacted terrain, and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the engine mounts. The instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor reported that he had demonstrated a simulated engine failure and recovery at altitude to the pilot-under-instruction (PUI), and he subsequently asked the PUI to perform a simulated engine failure and recovery. Operating over an open field, the flight instructor allowed the pilot to descend over the field, and he recalled instructing the pilot to "Recover" and abort the landing about 200ft AGL. Failing to do so, the flight instructor came on the controls about 50 knots airspeed and about 100ft AGL, the airplane stalled, collided with the ground, and subsequently nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the engine mounts. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N35585
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (S)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S8873
- Airframe hours
- 7,317.5
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Christiansen Aviation Inc
- Registered owner
- Christiansen Aviation Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 31, 2019
- Departed
- SGJ · Saint Augustine, FL
- Destination
- SGJ · Saint Augustine, FL
- Equipment
- Unknown
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 27
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 24, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 1,030 total · 300.7 in this make and model · 932.7 as pilot in command · 146.6 in the last 90 days · 62.7 in the last 30 days · 2.2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 31
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 3, 2019
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 271 total · 215 in this make and model · 223 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1.5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 79 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.17 inHg
- Observed at
- KSGJ, 4 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 5, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.5 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 N35585 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.