- Date
- October 28, 2019, 16:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Augusta, GA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N80931Cessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 16, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20191028022189A
- Case key
- 100530
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 attain sufficient airspeed to climb out of ground effect, which resulted in a descent, loss of directional control, runway excursion, and impact with a fence.
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 he configured the airplane for takeoff and that, during the takeoff roll, the airplane reached 55 knots and ascended about 5 ft above ground level. The airplane descended back onto the runway and veered right. He applied left rudder and pulled the throttle to idle as the airplane exited the right side of the runway. He leveled the wings and locked the brakes, and the airplane impacted a fence. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. The student reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The student pilot reported that, he configured the airplane for takeoff, and during the takeoff roll, the airplane reached 55 knots, and ascended about 5ft above the runway. The airplane descended back to the runway and veered to the right. He applied left rudder, and he pulled the throttle to idle as the airplane exited the right side of the runway. He leveled the wings, locked the brakes and the airplane impacted a fence. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. According to the METAR at the accident airport, the weather about the time of the accident was reported as wind light and variable wind conditions, temperature 82°F, and the airport elevation was 422ft. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N80931
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (M)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17266806
- Built
- 1976
- Airframe hours
- 4,206.1
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 160 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Augusta Aviation Inc
- Registered owner
- Augusta Aviation Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 4, 2019
- Departed
- DNL · Augusta, GA
- Destination
- DNL · Augusta, GA
- Airport
- DNL · Daniel Field, runway 23, 4,002 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- 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
- 53
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 33.7 total · 33.7 in this make and model · 6 as pilot in command · 9.8 in the last 90 days · 6.6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- DNL
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 31, 2020, 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.