- Date
- September 12, 2019, 06:30 local (13:30 UTC)
- Place
- Phoenix, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N796WWCessna 172
- Defining event
- Takeoff-rejected takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 17, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190912013069A
- Case key
- 100256
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 an aborted takeoff, which resulted in a runway excursion and impact with runway signs while attempting to maneuver back onto the runway.
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 takeoff, the airplane drifted left off the runway. He was concerned that the takeoff was unsafe, so he decided to abort the takeoff and landed the airplane in a gravel field adjacent to the runway. He applied the brakes to slow down and attempted to maneuver the airplane back onto the runway. The right main landing gear impacted a runway sign, and the airplane veered right, crossed the runway, impacted a second runway sign, and then came to rest in a gravel field. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage aft of the nosewheel and the 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, during takeoff, the airplane drifted left off the runway. Concerned the takeoff was unsafe, he decided to abort the takeoff and landed the airplane in the gravel field adjacent to the runway. He used the brakes to slow down and attempted to maneuver the airplane back on the runway. The right main landing gear impacted a runway sign, and the airplane veered right. The airplane continued to veer right, crossed the runway, and impacted a second runway sign. The airplane came to rest in a gravel field. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage aft of the nose wheel and the 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. The airport's automated weather observation station reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was calm. The airplane was departing from runway 07.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N796WW
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (S)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S8635
- Built
- 2000
- Airframe hours
- 12,240.8
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Westwind School of Aeronautic
- Registered owner
- Coldwater Group Llc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 13, 2019
- Departed
- DVT · Phoenix, AZ
- Destination
- DVT · Phoenix, AZ
- Airport
- DVT · Phoenix Deer Valley, runway 07R, 8,196 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, ADS-B
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 1, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 35.5 total · 35.5 in this make and model · 35.5 in the last 90 days · 23.1 in the last 30 days · 2.7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
- Observed at
- KDVT
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 26, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.8 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.