- Date
- September 13, 1991, 19:36 local (Sep 14, 1991, 02:36 UTC)
- Place
- Prescott, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N251ERCessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report March 24, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910913040099A
- Case key
- 27360
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 failure to maintain directional control of the airplane. Contributing factors related to the dark, night light condition and to the pilot's inexperience in the type of nighttime takeoff operation.
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 81.9-hour total time, recently certificated private pilot attempted a dark, nighttime takeoff, on a 7616 foot-long by 150-foot wide runway. Over 30 seconds earlier a Beech 1900 airplane had departed from the same runway. The private pilot reported that during his takeoff roll the airplane began shaking and he felt 'uncomfortable'. The pilot applied brakes and rudder but failed to maintain directional control. The airplane veered off the runway and collided with a dirt bank. The pilot's total nighttime PIC flight experience was 3.7 hours.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N251ER
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17271075
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Univ
- Registered owner
- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Univ
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Airport
- PRC · Ernest A. Love Fld., runway 21, 7,616 × 150 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 19
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 82 total · 82 in this make and model · 7 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 210° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PRC, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.