- Date
- January 22, 2012, 14:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Richland, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N64270Cessna 172M
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 2, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20120122000279A
- Case key
- 82716
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 improper landing flare and inadequate directional control during landing.
Findings · 3
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
During a solo flight, the student pilot was practicing touch-and-go takeoffs and landings. On the third landing, the pilot did not pitch the nose up sufficiently, and the airplane touched down and began to porpoise and wheelbarrow on the nose wheel. He attempted to steer the airplane back toward the centerline of the runway but was unsuccessful, and the airplane departed the left side of the runway. As the airplane left the pavement, it hit a snow berm and nosed over onto its back. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the vertical stabilizer. The pilot stated that there were no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane.
Factual narrative
The student pilot was practicing normal touch-and-go landings. On the third landing, the pilot did not pitch the nose up sufficiently and the airplane began to porpoise and wheelbarrow on the nose wheel. The student pilot attempted to steer the airplane back towards the centerline of the runway, but was unsuccessful and the airplane departed the left side of the runway. As the airplane left the pavement, it hit a snow berm and it nosed over onto its back. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and to the vertical stabilizer. The pilot stated that there were no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N64270
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17265142
- Airframe hours
- 5,830
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Kennewick Aircraft Services, Inc., doing business as Sundance Aviation
- Registered owner
- Kennewick Aircraft Services, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 29, 2011 · 28 hours before
- Departed
- RLD · Richland, WA
- Destination
- RLD · Richland, WA
- Airport
- RLD · Richland Airport, runway 01, 4,000 × 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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 49
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 31 total · 31 in this make and model · 2 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 36 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.69 inHg
- Observed at
- PSC, 8 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 21, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 746 KB 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.