- Date
- January 22, 1995, 14:16 local (21:16 UTC)
- Place
- Mesa, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N73141Cessna 172M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 9, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950122001749A
- Case key
- 29016
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
Student pilot's failure to maintain proper alignment, his delayed remedial action, and improper use of the flight controls. The student pilot's lack of experience was a factor in this accident.
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. On the sixth landing, the airplane yawed to the left. The student pilot applied corrective control inputs, but without success. The airplane exited the left side of the runway and collided with a drainage ditch. The postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of any preexisting malfunctions or failures.
Factual narrative
On January 22, 1995, at 1416 hours mountain standard time, a Cessna 172M, N73141, exited the left side of runway 22R and collided with a ditch at Falcon Field, Mesa, Arizona. The pilot was conducting a local area solo visual flight rules instructional flight. The airplane, registered to and operated by private individuals, sustained substantial damage. The student pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight departed Falcon Field on January 22, 1995, about 1300 hours.
The student pilot reported in the aircraft accident report that he made five touch-and-go takeoffs and landings in calm winds. On the sixth landing, the airplane yawed to the left. The student pilot applied corrective control inputs, but without success. The airplane exited the left side of the runway and collided with a 3-foot drainage ditch that parallels the runway.
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector examined the airplane. The inspector reported that the airplane's flight controls and brake system were operational. He did not find any preexisting airplane malfunctions or failures.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N73141
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17267284
- Airframe hours
- 2,368
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Steve & Jill Weeks
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 8, 1995 · 27 hours before
- Departed
- FFZ
- Destination
- FFZ · AZ
- Airport
- FFZ · Falcon Field, runway 22R, 5,100 × 100 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 39
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 18 total · 18 in this make and model · 1 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 75 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.