- Date
- October 16, 1995, 16:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Wilkes-Barre, PA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N3773LCessna 172G
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 7, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19951016032729A
- Case key
- 39111
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 instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight. Contributing factors were the instructor's inexperience and the student pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control.
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 and student pilot had made two takeoffs and landings without incident. During the third takeoff, the airplane started to drift to the left and the student pilot stated that there was a problem with the controls. The flight instructor stated that the controls were alright, and that there was a crosswind. When the airplane began to roll to the left, the flight instructor took over the controls. The airplane's left wing tip struck the ground, and the airplane cartwheeled. Examination of the wreckage revealed no mechanical problem with the airplane. The student pilot had a total of 27 hours of flight experience. This was his first flight in this make and model. The flight instructor was initially certificated as an instructor 4 days prior to the accident, and this was his first flight as an instructor. Winds at a nearby airport were reported to be from 250 degrees at 14 knots, gusting to 24.
Factual narrative
On October 16, 1995, at 1630 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172G, N3773L, was substantially damaged when it collided with terrain during takeoff at the Wilkes-Barre Wyoming Valley Airport (WBW), Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The flight instructor and student pilot were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, for the instructional flight that originated at WBW. No flight plan had been filed for the flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
In the NTSB Form 6120.1/2, the flight instructor stated that the student pilot had made two takeoffs and landings without incident. The flight instructor further stated:
Upon our third takeoff, after we had started to accelerate, the student said "what's up with these ailerons?" and I said "they're good, we have a cross wind," just as we lifted off. At this point the aircraft started to roll to the left, although we had right aileron and right rudder in. I yelled, "I got it" and tried to straighten the aircraft out but could not. Shortly thereafter our left wing hit the dirt to the left of the runway and [we] started to "cartwheel."
The flight instructor also stated in the report:
Aborted takeoff when student mentioned something felt wrong with his controls. Although there was probably nothing wrong, I should have just returned back to the ramp.
According to a Federal Aviation Administration Inspector's report, examination of the wreckage revealed no mechanical problems with the airplane.
The student pilot had a total of 27 hours of flight experience, all in the Piper Tri-Pacer. This was his first flight in any Cessna airplane.
The flight instructor was initially certificated as an instructor on October 16, 1995. This was his first flight as an instructor.
Winds at a nearby airport were reported to be from 250 degrees at 14 knots, gusting to 24.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3773L
- Reported as
- Cessna 172G
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17253942
- Airframe hours
- 3,853
- Engine
- Continental O-300-D, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- C.C. Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 24, 1995 · 94 hours before
- Departed
- WBW
- Airport
- WBW · Wyoming Valley, runway 24, 3,376 × 75 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
- 23
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 275 total · 160 in this make and model · 176 as pilot in command · 29 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 14 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- AVP, 8 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.