- Date
- February 5, 2004, 16:15 local (21:15 UTC)
- Place
- Fredrick, MD
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5165MCessna 172R
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report September 1, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20040205002049A
- Case key
- 58713
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 landing. A factor was the snow bank.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
Upon landing, the airplane veered to the left. The student pilot applied full right rudder, but could not maintain directional control, and the airplane subsequently impacted a snow bank along the left side of the runway. There was no evidence of mechanical malfunction. The flight was the student's pilot's first solo flight.
Factual narrative
On February 5, 2004, at 1615 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172R, N5165M, was substantially damaged while landing at Frederick Municipal Airport (FDK), Frederick, Maryland. The certificated student pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local solo instructional flight, conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the student pilot, the accident occurred during his first solo flight. While on final approach to runway 05 for his second touch-and-go landing, "everything seemed fine." As soon as the main landing gear wheels touched down, the airplane veered to the left. The student pilot applied full right rudder, but could not maintain directional control, and the airplane impacted a snow bank along the left side of the runway.
The student pilot additionally stated, "At no time did I actually touch the brakes."
According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector and the operator of the airplane, there were no indications of mechanical malfunction.
Runway 05 was 5,220 feet long by 100 feet wide, and was reported by the student pilot as being dry at the time of the accident.
The weather reported at the airport, at 1614, included winds from 040 degrees true at 5 knots, 10 statute miles visibility, scattered clouds at 5,500 feet, a broken cloud layer at 6,500 feet, temperature 30 degrees Fahrenheit, dew point 19 degrees Fahrenheit, and a barometric pressure of 30.56 inches of mercury.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5165M
- Reported as
- Cessna 172R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17281092
- Airframe hours
- 1,126
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Fredrick Flight Center
- Registered owner
- Air Elliott Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · December 31, 2003 · 47.7 hours before
- Departed
- FDK · Fredrick, MD
- Airport
- FDK · Frederick Muni, runway 05, 5,220 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 24
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 23 total · 23 in this make and model · 23 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 40° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 30 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.55 inHg
- Observed at
- FDK
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.