- Date
- December 26, 2007, 17:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Northampton, MA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N5425KCessna 172P
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 28, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20071226831289A
- Case key
- 67418
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 of the airplane during the takeoff roll and inadequate supervision by the CFI.
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 flight instructor stated that the student was to perform a short field takeoff. The student aligned the airplane on the centerline of the runway, applied the brakes, and increased engine power. The brakes were released and the airplane began the takeoff roll. The airplane suddenly veered off the centerline and struck a snow bank off the left side of the runway. The flight instructor stated that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions to the airplane or any of its systems prior to the accident.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor stated that the student was to perform a short field takeoff. The student aligned the airplane on the centerline of the runway, applied the brakes, and increased engine power. The brakes were released and the airplane began the takeoff roll. The airplane suddenly veered off the centerline and struck a snow bank off the left side of the runway. The flight instructor stated there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions to the airplane or any of its systems prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5425K
- Reported as
- Cessna 172P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17274106
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2J, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Michael L. Foy, doing business as Five Star Flight Academy
- Registered owner
- Five Star Flight Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- KBAF · Northampton, MA
- Destination
- Northampton, MA
- Airport
- K7B2 · Northampton, runway 32, 3,365 × 50 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 16
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2
- Flight hours
- 2,609 total · 1,500 in this make and model · 95 in the last 90 days · 23 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 16
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 80 total · 78 in this make and model · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 4 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 32 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.23 inHg
- Observed at
- KBAF
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 N5425K · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.