Pilot Debrief

Cessna 172F near Hemet, CA — 2019-09-12

Final reportGAA19CA544
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Date
2019-09-12
Location
Hemet, CA, USA
Airport
HMT
Aircraft
Cessna 172F
Registration
N5229F
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

The flight instructor's improper decision to perform a precautionary landing on unsuitable terrain, which resulted in a noseover.

NTSB narrative

The flight instructor reported that, during landing, he told the student pilot to initiate a go-around. During the climb, the instructor saw dust devils at the end of the runway, so he instructed the student to also initiate a slight left turn. The instructor then noticed power lines past the dust devils, so he took the controls from the student and continued a shallow, 200 ft-per-minute climbing left turn to the south. While turning the airplane, the instructor saw other power lines to the south, so he decided to initiate a precautionary soft-field landing to a plowed field adjacent to the runway. During landing, the nose landing gear touched down, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing lift strut and vertical stabilizer. The instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

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

Docket documents4

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