- Date
- September 23, 2019, 09:20 local (13:20 UTC)
- Place
- Plant City, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N739RTCessna 172
- Defining event
- 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
- Case key
- 100361
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 the aborted landing, which resulted in a runway excursion and impact with a ditch.
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 student pilot reported that, during a solo flight in the pattern, the airplane encountered a "moderate wind" from the left during landing. The pilot corrected with right rudder application, and the airplane touched down on the right side of the runway centerline. The student retracted the flaps to perform a touch-and-go landing and increased engine power. Subsequently, the airplane veered left and exited the runway. The airplane then impacted a ditch and came to rest. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing spar. The student reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
***This report was modified on January 9, 2020. Please see the docket for this accident to view the original report.*** The student pilot reported that during a solo flight in the pattern, the airplane encountered a "moderate wind," from the left during landing. The pilot corrected with right rudder application and the airplane touched down on the right side of the runway centerline. The student pilot retracted the flaps to perform a touch and go, and increased engine power to abort the landing. When the pilot increased the engine power, the airplane veered to the left and exited the runway. The airplane impacted a drainage culvert where it came to rest. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing spar. The airport's METAR reported that about the time of the accident, the wind was from 10° at 5 knots. The pilot landed the airplane on runway 10. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N739RT
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (N)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17270751
- Built
- 1978
- Airframe hours
- 10,439.2
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Bartow Municipal Airport Development Aut
- Registered owner
- Bartow Municipal Airport Development Aut
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 18, 2019
- Departed
- LAL · Lakeland, FL
- Destination
- PCM · Plant City, FL
- Airport
- PCM · Plant City, runway 10, 3,950 × 75 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
- Pilot
- Age
- 18
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 45 total · 45 in this make and model · 10 as pilot in command · 45 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- KPCM
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 3, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.8 MB in all.