- Date
- March 8, 2001, 16:15 local (21:15 UTC)
- Place
- Cartersville, GA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N651MACessna 172R
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 17, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20010308003369A
- Case key
- 51882
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 control of the airplane which resulted in the airplane veering off course and subsequent impact with trees.
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 stated he was on an unsupervised solo flight, and had checked the windsock and "it switched from the north and the went back indicating from 270 degrees." At approximately 1/3 normal takeoff, with full right aileron deflection and right rudder, he experienced adverse yaw to the left. Rather then trying to abort the takeoff he attempted to salvage the takeoff. The airplane temporarily became airborne, he pulled the throttle to idle and attempted to stop… The airplane impacted in a shallow ditch filled with small trees. At the time of the accident the reported winds at the airport were variable at 5 knots.
Factual narrative
On March 8, 2001, about 1615 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172R, N651MA, registered to VPC Air Inc., operating as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight, struck tress during initial climb at the Cartersville Airport, Cartersville, Georgia. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. No flight plan was filed. The airplane received substantial damage, and the student pilot, the sole occupant, reported no injuries. The flight had just departed when the accident occurred.
The student pilot stated he was on an unsupervised solo flight, and had checked the windsock and "it switched from the north and then went back indicating from 270 degrees." He "…applied full power. At approximately 1/3 normal takeoff [distance], with full right aileron deflection and right rudder, I experienced adverse yaw to the left. Rather then trying to abort at this point, as I should have, I attempted to salvage the takeoff. I temporarily became airborne… I had to stop the aircraft, I pulled the throttle (idle) and attempted to stop… I ended up in a shallow ditch filled with small trees."
At the time of the accident the reported winds at the airport were variable at 5 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N651MA
- Reported as
- Cessna 172R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172-80897
- Airframe hours
- 348
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Vpc Air Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · March 1, 2001 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- VPC · Cartersville, GA
- Airport
- VPC · Cartersville, runway 19, 5,760 × 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
- 34
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 47 total · 47 in this make and model · 12 as pilot in command · 21 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- VPC
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.