GAA19CA544

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 172F · Hemet, CA · September 12, 2019

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
September 12, 2019, 15:20 local (22:20 UTC)
Place
Hemet, CA
Injuries
2 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N5229FCessna 172F
Defining event
Landing: Nose over/nose down
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report March 17, 2020
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
General Aviation Accidents
FAA report
20190912013089A
Case key
100258

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 flight instructor's improper decision to perform a precautionary landing on unsuitable terrain, which resulted in a noseover.

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.

Info processing/decision: decision making/judgmentPersonnel issues › Action/decision · Instructor/check pilotCessna 172F: 8 casesAll aircraft: 3,098 casesProbable cause
Terrain: sloped/uneven terrainEnvironmental issues › Physical environment · Effect on operationCessna 172F: 1 caseAll aircraft: 270 casesProbable cause
Terrain: sloped/uneven terrainEnvironmental issues › Physical environment · Decision related to conditionCessna 172F: 1 caseAll aircraft: 270 casesProbable cause

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, during landing, he told the student pilot to initiate a go-around. During the climb, the instructor saw dust devils at the end of the runway, so he instructed the student to also initiate a slight left turn. The instructor then noticed power lines past the dust devils, so he took the controls from the student and continued a shallow, 200 ft-per-minute climbing left turn to the south. While turning the airplane, the instructor saw other power lines to the south, so he decided to initiate a precautionary soft-field landing to a plowed field adjacent to the runway. During landing, the nose landing gear touched down, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing lift strut and vertical stabilizer. 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, during landing, he directed the student pilot to initiate a go-around. During the climb, the instructor saw dust devils at the end of the runway, so he instructed the student to also initiate a slight left turn. The instructor then noticed power lines past the dust devils, so he decided to take the controls from the student and continued a shallow, 200 ft-per-minute climbing left turn to the south. While in the turn, the instructor saw other high-tension power lines to the south, so he decided to initiate a precautionary soft field landing to a plowed field adjacent to the runway. During landing, the nose landing gear touched down and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right-wing lift strut and vertical stabilizer. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. An automated weather observation station, about 20 minutes before the accident, about 15 nautical miles north from the accident site, reported the wind was 310° at 6 knots, temperature of 97ºF, altimeter setting of 29.93. The calculated density altitude was about 4,237 ft. According to the Federal Aviation Administration density altitude Koch Chart, the airplane would have likely experienced about a 37% decrease to the normal climb rate, and about a 55% increase to the normal takeoff distance. The pilot reported that the wind was 140º at 6 knots. The airplane departed from runway 23.

Aircraft

Registration
N5229F
Reported as
Cessna 172F (A)
Category
Airplane
Serial number
17253280
Built
1965
Airframe hours
10,542
Engine
Continental O-300-D, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Instructional · Public use
Operator
United States Air Force Owner
Registered owner
United States Air Force Owner
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
100 hour · August 31, 2019
Departed
RIV · Riverside, CA
Destination
HMT · Hemet, CA
Flight plan
Military VFR
Airport
HMT · Hemet-Ryan, runway 23, 4,315 × 100 ft, asphalt
Equipment
Handheld GPS, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Stall warning system, Onboard weather

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
Flight instructor
Age
63
Injuries
None
Certificates
Airline transport, Flight instructor, Commercial
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane, Helicopter
Medical
Class 2, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
June 6, 2018
Seat
Right
Restraint
3-point
Flight hours
11,497 total · 1,000 in this make and model · 8,370 as pilot in command · 99 in the last 90 days · 29 in the last 30 days · 10 in the last 24 hours
Role
Student pilot
Age
37
Injuries
None
Certificate
Student
Medical
Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
Seat
Left
Restraint
3-point
Flight hours
42 total · 42 in this make and model · 30 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
310° at 8 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
97 °F, dew point 39 °F
Altimeter
29.93 inHg
Observed at
KRIV, 15 nm away

Docket · 4

The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 20, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.6 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.