- Date
- April 30, 1997, 16:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Lancaster, OH
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N2921XCessna 177
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 2, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970430008459A
- Case key
- 39353
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's inadequate supervision and his failure to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll, which resulted in the airplane departing the runway and striking the precision approach path indicator lights.
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 certified flight instructor (CFI) and student pilot (SP), who was reported as having less than an hour of flight time, were departing on a local training flight. The CFI performed the takeoff. The CFI told the SP to follow through on the controls, and to advance the throttle slowly. He advised the SP to expect a correction for the wind by lowering the left wing, and said that they would use the rudders to keep the airplane straight. When the throttle was advanced, the airplane immediately started to drift left. The CFI stated that for some reason, the SP applied full left rudder. The CFI could not over come this, and pulled the throttle shut. The airplane continued off the left side of the runway and came to a stop after striking two Precision Approach Path Indicator lights. The CFI did not recall if he or the student pilot attempted to stop the airplane using the brakes. Winds were reported from 190 degrees at 11 knots, with gusts to 20 knots. Examination of the airplane revealed no malfunction of the airplane's brakes or nose wheel steering system.
Factual narrative
On April 30, 1997, about 1630 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 177, N2921X, was substantially damaged when it collided with approach lights during the takeoff roll on runway 28 at the Fairfield County Airport, Lancaster, Ohio. The certificated flight instructor (CFI) and student pilot (SP) were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the instructional flight conducted under 14 CFR 91.
In a written statement, and during a telephone interview, the flight instructor stated that he performed the takeoff. The CFI told the SP to follow through on the controls, and to advance the throttle slowly. He advised the SP to expect a correction for the wind by "lowering the left wing" and said that they would use the rudders to keep the airplane straight. When the throttle was advanced, the airplane immediately started to drift left.
The CFI further stated:
"...For some reason, he [SP] applied full left rudder. I tried, but could not overcome this, so I pulled the throttle shut..."
The airplane continued off the left side of the runway, and came to a stop after it struck two Precision Approach Path Indicator lights. The CFI did not recall if he or the student pilot attempted to stop the airplane using the brakes.
A post-accident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration Inspector revealed no malfunction of the airplane's brakes or nose wheel steering system.
Winds reported at the Fairfield County Airport, at 1953, and 2053, were from 190 degrees at 11 knots, gusting to 20 knots, and from 190 degrees at 13 knots, gusting to 19 knots, respectively.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2921X
- Reported as
- Cessna 177
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17700321
- Airframe hours
- 1,920
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Quinton Hargus
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 1996 · 18 hours before
- Departed
- LHQ
- Airport
- LHQ · Fairfield County, runway 10, 5,000 × 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
- 78
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 15,500 total · 60 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 11 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LHQ
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 N2921X · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.