LAX01LA115

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 172N · Show Low, AZ · March 14, 2001

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
March 13, 2001, 17:55 local (Mar 14, 2001, 00:55 UTC)
Place
Show Low, AZ
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N738PPCessna 172N
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report November 28, 2001
Report
Approved by Office Director
Parties
FAA-SDL-FSDO
FAA report
20010313017269A
Case key
51913

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control resulting in an encounter with terrain and a nose over.

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.

Loss of control - on ground/waterLanding - roll
Directional control - not maintainedPilot in commandCause
On ground/water encounter with terrain/waterLanding - roll
Terrain condition - ditchFactor
Nose overLanding - roll

Analysis

During the landing roll, the airplane veered off the right side of the runway and nosed over. The student pilot had completed about 12 touch-and-go landings and was performing a short field landing. The winds were right down the runway and about 5 knots. The pilot landed between 60 and 65 knots with full flaps. The touchdown was smooth and he had rolled several hundred feet down the runway when the airplane started to veer to the right. He countered with left rudder and nothing happened. He applied full left rudder and left brake, but the airplane continued to the right and off the runway. The wings and the empennage sustained substantial damage when the airplane nosed over after traveling through a ditch.

Factual narrative

On March 13, 2001, about 1755 hours mountain standard time, a Cessna 172N, N738PP, sustained substantial damage when it veered off the runway and nosed over during the landing rollout at Show Low, Arizona. Mountain Exec Air was operating the rental airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The solo student pilot was not injured. The local instructional flight departed about 1700. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. No flight plan had been filed.

The flight instructor observed the accident. He said the student pilot took off about an hour before the accident. The student had completed about 12 touch-and-go landings and was performing a short field landing. During the landing roll, the airplane veered off the right side of runway 21 and nosed over. The instructor said the winds were right down the runway and about 5 knots.

The pilot submitted a written statement. He said he landed between 60 and 65 knots with full flaps. The touchdown was smooth and he had rolled several hundred feet down the runway when the airplane started to veer to the right. He countered with left rudder and nothing happened. He applied full left rudder and left brake, but the airplane continued to the right and off the runway. The wings and the empennage sustained substantial damage when the airplane nosed over after traveling through a ditch.

The operator failed to submit a pilot/operator report, NTSB Form 6120.1/2.

Aircraft

Registration
N738PP
Reported as
Cessna 172N
Category
Airplane
Serial number
17270133
Engine
Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Instructional · Part 91
Registered owner
Steven C. Kearl
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Departed
SOW · Show Low, AZ
Airport
SOW · Show Low, runway 21, 3,930 × 60 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
Pilot
Age
18
Injuries
None
Certificate
Student
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
Seat
Left
Flight hours
50 total

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
210° at 8 knots
Visibility
30 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
57 °F, dew point 21 °F
Altimeter
29.93 inHg
Observed at
SOW

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.