- Date
- April 12, 2005, 15:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Gallup, NM
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N520ERCessna 172S
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 13, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20050412030589A
- Case key
- 61314
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 pilot's premature liftoff and inadequate remedial action, which resulted in the airplane inadvertently recontacting the runway.
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
The airplane sustained damage to the firewall and several bulkheads when it settled firmly back onto the runway during takeoff. The pilot rotated the airplane at 55 knots and it rose off the runway slightly, but struggled to gain airspeed and altitude. The pilot allowed the nose to lower for airspeed, and the tires touched firmly back on the runway. According to the pilot, the contact happened in a flat attitude with the nose gear touching first, but not more so than a hard landing. The pilot allowed airspeed to increase and proceeded with a normal takeoff. The engine indications were normal, and control surfaces responded normally for the remainder of the flight. Maintenance personnel examined the airplane after completion of the flight and discovered structural damage to the firewall and airframe bulkheads. The pilot stated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight.
Factual narrative
On April 12, 2005, about 1530 mountain standard time, a Cessna 172S, N520ER, settled firmly back onto the runway following liftoff at Gallup, New Mexico. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The solo cross-country instructional flight departed Gallup about 1530, en route to Prescott, Arizona. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed; a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan had been filed.
In the pilot's written statement, she stated that she rotated at 55 knots during a normal takeoff. The airplane rose off the runway slightly, but struggled to gain airspeed and altitude. The pilot allowed the nose to lower for airspeed, and the tires touched firmly back on the runway. The contact happened in a flat attitude with the nose gear touching first, but she thought that the contact was not more so than a hard landing. The pilot allowed the airspeed to increase, and proceeded with a normal takeoff. The engine indications were normal and control surfaces responded normally for the remainder of the flight.
Maintenance personnel examined the airplane, and discovered structural damage to the firewall and airframe bulkheads.
The pilot stated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N520ER
- Reported as
- Cessna 172S
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17258923
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Prescott
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- GUP · Gallup, NM
- Destination
- PRC · Prescott, AZ
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- GUP · Gallup Municipal, runway 24, 7,316 × 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
- Pilot
- Age
- 20
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1
- Flight hours
- 119 total · 93 in this make and model · 16 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 7 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- GUP
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N520ER · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.