- Date
- October 17, 2009, 11:11 local (21:11 UTC)
- Place
- Honolulu, HI
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N5329LCessna 172S
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 3, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration FSDO
- FAA report
- 20091017019509A
- Case key
- 74913
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 distraction and subsequent loss of airplane control after the cabin window opened during the takeoff roll.
Findings · 6
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The student pilot reported that the cabin window opened during the takeoff roll. He reached over to close the window and a few seconds later the airplane rotated and banked to the left. He attempted to regain control of the airplane, but it collided with the runway surface, causing substantial damage to the firewall and both wings. The flight was to be the pilot's first solo cross-country flight; he reported 55 hours of total flight time, 1 hour of which was as pilot-in-command. Right gusting crosswinds existed at the time of the accident.
Factual narrative
The student pilot reported that the cabin window opened during the takeoff roll. He reached over to close the window, and a few seconds later, the airplane rotated and banked to the left. He attempted to regain control of the airplane, but it collided with the runway surface causing substantial damage to the firewall and both wings. The flight was to be the pilot's first solo cross-country; he reported 55 hours of total flight time, 1 hour of which was as pilot-in-command. Right gusting crosswinds existed at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5329L
- Reported as
- Cessna 172S
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S9332
- Airframe hours
- 5,219
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 15, 2009 · 72 hours before
- Departed
- PHNL · Honolulu, HI
- Destination
- PHNY · Lanai, HI
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- PHNL · Honolulu International, runway 04L, 6,952 × 150 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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 35
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 55 total · 55 in this make and model · 1 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 14 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PHNL
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 18, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 MB in all.
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 N5329L · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.