- Date
- May 5, 2021, 15:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Lewiston, ID
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N733BTCessna 172N
- Defining event
- Taxi: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- FAA report
- 20210505008479A
- Case key
- 103070
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 pilot's failure to maintain directional control during taxiing in crosswind conditions, which resulted in a taxiway excursion and collision with a fence.
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
The student pilot reported that while taxiing, the airplane unexpectedly turned hard to the right, and he applied full left rudder to counteract what he thought was the result of a strong wind gust. The airplane exited the right side of the taxiway where he applied the brakes. Despite his actions the airplane continued down an embankment and collided with a fence where it came to a stop. The nose landing gear collapsed, and the left wing impacted terrain which resulted in substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The student pilot reported the wind as variable at 7-9 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N733BT
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17268174
- Built
- 1976
- Airframe hours
- 7,762
- Engine
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Northern Air Inc.
- Registered owner
- Williams David A
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 11, 2021 · 89 hours before
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- LWS · Lewiston-Nez Perce County, runway 12/30, 5,003 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Handheld GPS, ADS-B
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
- 34
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 40 total · 40 in this make and model · 6.4 as pilot in command · 38.1 in the last 90 days · 16.1 in the last 30 days · 3.3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 9 knots
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 3, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.4 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 N733BT · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.