- Date
- August 22, 1994, 08:40 local (15:40 UTC)
- Place
- Mesa, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N172STCessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 14, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940822022599A
- Case key
- 28837
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 by his improper use of the flight controls. Factors related to this accident were the pilot's lack of total experience and the crosswind.
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 student pilot was practicing touch-and-go takeoffs and landings. There was a crosswind from the left and, on the last landing, the airplane veered to the left, collided with a ditch and nosed over.
Factual narrative
On August 22, 1994, at 0840 hours mountain standard time, a Cessna 172, N172ST, exited the left side of runway 22R and collided with a ditch and nosed-over at Falcon Field, Mesa, Arizona. The noncertificated student pilot was conducting a local solo visual flight rules instructional flight. The airplane, operated by Superstition Air Service, Falcon Field, sustained substantial damage. The student pilot received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, but with a direct 90-degree left crosswind component. The flight originated at Falcon Field at 0825 hours.
The operator told National Transportation Safety Board investigators during a telephone interview on August 23, 1994, that the student pilot was conducting touch-and-go takeoffs and landings. On the accident landing, the local controller cleared the student pilot for the option. The student pilot landed normally. During the landing rollout, the airplane veered to the left and its nose gear collided with a ditch and nosed-over.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N172ST
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17271829
- Airframe hours
- 4,496
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Superstition Air Service
- Registered owner
- Superstition Air Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 28, 1994 · 42 hours before
- Airport
- FFZ · Falcon Field, runway 22R, 3,800 × 74 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
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 24 total · 24 in this make and model · 2 as pilot in command · 24 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 90 °F
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 N172ST · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.