- Date
- December 28, 1991, 10:59 local (15:59 UTC)
- Place
- Melbourne, FL
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N9718BCessna 172RG
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 22, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911228057539A
- Case key
- 32973
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 flight instructor pilot in command's failure to maintain airspeed while demonstrating a power off approach to the student and his improper retraction of the wing flaps during go around from the approach resulting in an inadvertent stall and inflight loss of control and an uncontrolled descent into the ground.
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
According to pvt rated student and the acft operator the CFI was designated pilot in command for the instructional flt. The student did not have a complex acft checkout and could not be pilot in command. According to the CFI and student the student performed a power off approach. On base leg when it appeared acft was low CFI took controls to complete appch. When final was overshot CFI started go around and attempted to raise flaps to 10 degrees. The acft stalled and descended left wing low striking the ground. The acft then cartwheeled. Post crash examination indicated the flaps were fully retracted at ground impact. The acft's engine, flight controls, flap system, and stall warning system were inspected and revealed no evidence of precrash failure or malfunction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9718B
- Reported as
- Cessna 172RG
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172RG0988
- Airframe hours
- 3,116
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-F1AG, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Alpha Flight, Inc.
- Registered owner
- William Alameda, Jr.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 7, 1991 · 39 hours before
- Airport
- MLB · Melbourne Regional, runway 9, 6,000 × 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
- 24
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 500 total · 450 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MLB, 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.