# NTSB SEA04LA081: Cessna 172P, N54477, Battle Ground, WA, May 10, 2004 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: May 10, 2004, 11:20 local (18:20 UTC) - Place: Battle Ground, WA - Coordinates: 45.827777, -122.57611 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=45.8278&lon=-122.5761&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report September 1, 2004 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Portland FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 59203 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=SEA04LA081 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/59203/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA04LA081 ## Probable cause The student pilot's misjudgment of distance and his failure to do a go-around. Also causal was the instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight. Factors include gusty crosswinds, the dual student's failure to adequately compensate for those winds, a wet runway surface, and a ditch off the departure end of the runway. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Overrun, landing - roll - distance - misjudged, dual student (cause) - go-around - not performed, dual student (cause) - supervision - inadequate, pilot in command(cfi) (cause) - compensation for wind conditions - inadequate, dual student - weather condition - crosswind (contributing factor) - airport facilities,runway/landing area condition - wet (contributing factor) - On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, landing - roll - terrain condition - ditch (contributing factor) ## Analysis The dual student, who holds a private pilot certificate for helicopters, was working towards a fixed-wing add-on to his certificate. As per the lesson profile, the student planned a dual cross country flight, but while en route, the instructor told the student to divert to another field. After arrival at the field, they over-flew the runway and determined that there was a direct crosswind at what they estimated was about 10 knots. The student then entered a left pattern for a full-stop landing on the damp turf runway. During his first two approaches, the student allowed the aircraft to get too high on final, and in both instances a go-around was initiated. On the third approach the aircraft remained on the proper final approach path until it was approximately 50 feet above the ground. At that point the aircraft encountered a wind gust, and it ballooned upward to an extent that the pilot was not able to descend to a position where he felt comfortable initiating the landing flare until the aircraft was almost halfway down the 2,600 foot runway. Then the aircraft "floated for awhile in ground effect" before touching down approximately two-thirds of the way down the runway. During this sequence of events, the student did not attempt to initiate a go-around on his own, and the instructor did not direct him to do one. After the aircraft touched down, the student applied the wheel brakes while holding the yoke full back for aerodynamic braking. Then the instructor came on the controls and assisted with the braking effort. Ultimately the pilots were unable to get the aircraft stopped before it went off the end of the runway, down a steep embankment, and into a ditch. Upon impacting the ditch, the nose wheel folded back and the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The investigation did not find any evidence of problems with the aircraft's flight control or wheel braking systems. ## Factual narrative On May 10, 2004, approximately 1120 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172P, N54477, collided with the terrain during the landing roll at Goheen Field, Battle Ground, Washington. Neither the flight instructor or the dual student were injured, but the aircraft, which is owned and operated by Hillsboro Aviation, sustained substantial damage. The 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight, which departed Hillsboro Airport, Hillsboro, Oregon, about 40 minutes earlier, was being operated in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan had been filed. There was no report of an ELT activation. According to the instructor pilot, her student, who holds a private pilot certificate for helicopters, was working towards a fixed-wing add-on to his certificate. As per the lesson profile, the student planned a dual cross country flight to Toledo-Winlock, Washington (TDO), and then while en route, the instructor told the student to divert to Goheen Field. After arrival at the field, they over-flew the runway and determined that there was a direct crosswind at what they estimated was about 10 knots. The student then entered a left pattern for runway 15 for a full-stop landing on the damp turf runway. During his first two approaches, the student allowed the aircraft to get too high on final, and in both instances a go-around was initiated. According to both the instructor and the student, on the third approach the aircraft remained on the proper final approach path until it was approximately 50 feet above the ground. At that point the aircraft encountered a wind gust, and it ballooned upward to an extent that the student was not able to descend to a position where he felt comfortable initiating the landing flare until the aircraft was almost half way down the 2,600 foot runway. Then, according to the student, the aircraft "floated for awhile in ground effect" before touching down approximately two-thirds of the way down the runway. During this sequence of events, the student did not attempt to initiate a go-around on his own, and the instructor did not direct him to do one. After the aircraft touched down, the student applied the wheel brakes while holding the yoke full back for aerodynamic braking. Then, according to the student, the instructor came on the controls and assisted with the braking effort. Ultimately the pilots were unable to get the aircraft stopped before it went off the end of the runway, down a steep embankment, and into a ditch. Upon impacting the ditch, the nose wheel folded back and the aircraft sustained substantial damage. According to both the instructor pilot and the FAA Inspector that responded to the scene, there was no evidence of any problems with the aircraft's flight control or wheel braking systems. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N54477](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N54477), registered now, S/N 17274983, built 1981 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 172P - Registry model: [Cessna 172P](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172p) (registry code 2072436) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (registry code 41508, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 74983 - Engines: Lycoming O-320 160 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Registered owner: Hillsboro Aviation - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, April 13, 2004 - Departed: HIO, Hillsboro, OR - Destination: W52, Battleground, WA - Airport: W52, Goheen Airfield, runway 15, 2,600 × 50 ft, grass/turf ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Flight instructor; age 26; injuries: none; commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; last flight review July 28, 2003; seat: right; flight hours: 564 total, 247 in this make and model, 489 as pilot in command, 161 in the last 90 days, 52 in the last 30 days - Student pilot; injuries: none - Student pilot; age 29; injuries: none; private; medical: class 2, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; last flight review August 26, 2003; seat: left; flight hours: 124 total, 19 in this make and model, 47 as pilot in command, 24 in the last 90 days, 17 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 260° at 7 knots, gusting 12 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 5,000 ft overcast - Temperature: 55 °F ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20040510009209A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040510009209A), May 10, 2004: Cessna 172P, Battle Ground, WA, Substantial damage. (-23) During a student's third attempt to land on runway 15 at Goheen Airport (W52), N54477, a CE-172P, landed long and did not stop on the runway surface. The… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.