IAD00LA043

The student pilot was on a cross-country solo flight and entered the downwind leg of the traffic pattern for landing on Runway 20. He said he turned onto the final leg of the traffic pattern and established the airplane on a stabilized approach for the runway. The student pilot said that just prior to landing he 'blacked out' and lost consciousness. The student pilot said that he awoke when the airplane hit the ground. The airplane banked to the right, cleared a fence, but struck a power line and a trailer where it came to rest. A firefighter who witnessed the accident and assisted the student pilot said, 'The first thing he told me was that he blacked out.' The student pilot remained in the hospital for two days undergoing tests. He reported that he was not taking any medication prior to the accident, and that he had no pre-existing medical condition that would explain his loss of consciousness. The pilot reported there were no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane, and examination of the engine's exhaust system revealed no leaks or mechanical faults.

On May 16, 2000, at 1219 Eastern Daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N1655E, was substantially damaged during collision with a power line and a trailer after landing at the Tappahannock Airport (W79), Tappahannock, Virginia. The student pilot sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the cross-country instructional flight that originated at Hummel Field (W75), Saluda, Virginia, at 1150. No flight plan was filed for the flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.

In a telephone interview, the student pilot stated the purpose of the flight was to complete his first solo cross-country flight. He said he performed some takeoffs and landings with his instructor earlier in the day. He then departed on the first leg of his solo flight.

The student pilot said that as he approached the airport, he received traffic advisories for W79 over the UNICOM frequency, and entered the downwind leg of the traffic pattern for landing on Runway 20. He said he turned onto the final leg of the traffic pattern, adjusted for a slight crosswind, and established the airplane on a stabilized approach for the runway. The student pilot said that just prior to landing he "blacked out" and lost consciousness. He said:

"I came over the runway threshold about 50 to 55 knots. When I hit the ground, I woke up, and the airplane was in a hard bank; about a 35 degree bank to the right. I came up full power, and the stall horn was going on and off. I cleared the fence, but the left wing hit the power line and I spun around and landed on the trailer. If it hadn't been for the power line, I think I might have gotten it back."

The student pilot explained that the airplane turned approximately 90 degrees during the right bank. The fence and the power line he attempted to avoid bordered the airport property, and ran parallel to the runway.

A firefighter witnessed the accident from the fire station adjacent to the airport. In a telephone interview, she said the airplane passed overhead on the downwind leg, completed the traffic pattern, and approached the runway for landing. According to the firefighter:

"The airplane came down like it was going to land. He was coming straight in for landing like the rest of them do, nothing different. If it didn't touch, it came close. Then it veered to the right, struck the power line, and landed on the trailer. I ran over, helped him out of the plane, and helped him to the ground. He said he blacked out. The first thing he told me was that he blacked out."

The student pilot remained in the hospital for two days undergoing tests. He reported that he was not taking any medication prior to the accident, and that he had no pre-existing medical condition that would explain his loss of consciousness. After he was released from the hospital, the student pilot said that neither the tests nor the examinations by doctors explained his loss of consciousness.

The student pilot reported 60 hours of flight experience, 31 hours of which was in the Cessna 172. The student pilot reported 25 hours of flight experience in the previous 90 days, all of which was in the Cessna 172.

The student pilot reported that there were no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane.

Two aviation safety inspectors from the Federal Aviation Administration examined the airplane. In a written statement, an Airworthiness inspector said, "I checked the aircraft out. The throttle was full forward, the mixture was in the rich position, the carburetor heat was full on, the fuel selector was in the both position, the flaps were in the full down position, and the master switch was off."

The inspectors established flight control continuity from the cockpit to all flight control surfaces. They started and ran the engine on the airframe using the airplane's own fuel system. In a telephone interview, the airworthiness inspector said examination of the engine's exhaust system revealed no leaks or deficiencies.

The winds reported at Richmond, Virginia, 38 miles southwest of Tappahannock were variable at 4 knots.