Pilot Debrief

CESSNA 172S near Allentown, PA — 2012-07-09

Final reportERA12LA445
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Date
2012-07-09
Location
Allentown, PA, USA
Airport
XLL
Aircraft
CESSNA 172S
Registration
N680MA
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Landing

Probable cause

The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during a touch-and-go takeoff, which resulted in a runway excursion and a subsequent impact with a gopher hole, and the flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the student pilot and his delayed remedial action.

NTSB narrative

While the student pilot was conducting touch-and-go landings, about the time of power application after landing, the airplane veered left and departed the runway onto the adjacent grass. The airplane subsequently struck a sign, impacted a gopher hole, and came to rest near a berm, sustaining substantial damage to the airframe and horizontal stabilizer. Three distinct tire tracks were visible in the grass up to the gopher hole. A postaccident examination of the left main landing gear assembly revealed overstress fractures from a single loading event, which was likely the impact with the gopher hole; no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation were found. FAA guidance indicates that an abrupt application of power may result in the airplane yawing sharply to the left. It is likely that at the application of takeoff power, the student pilot failed to apply an appropriate amount of rudder correction and the airplane departed the runway. The flight instructor did not recognize the student’s failure to maintain directional control in a timely manner and failed to take appropriate remedial.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Mechanical failure
First missed decision gate
Addressing unusual vibration in left main landing gear before flight.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 9 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents9

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