Pilot Debrief

Cessna 172 near New Kent, VA — 2018-08-26

Final reportERA18LA233
Sign in to save
Date
2018-08-26
Location
New Kent, VA, USA
Airport
W96
Aircraft
Cessna 172
Registration
N1537U
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Serious
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Approach

Probable cause

The student pilot’s loss of airplane control during a go-around.

NTSB narrative

The student pilot was on the first leg of a solo cross-country flight. A witness at the destination airport reported that he heard loud “engine noise,” looked up, and then saw the airplane about midfield in a steep, left descending turn with the “nose about 40° down.” The airplane then descended out of his view behind a hangar, and shortly thereafter, he heard the sound of impact. Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane had struck a power line about 700 ft left of the runway centerline at midfield, impacted terrain and three different sections of fencing, and then came to rest nose down. During postaccident examination of the airplane, the throttle control was found in the full-forward position, and the pitch trim was found in a slightly nose-down position. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. According to the flight school owner, a flight school policy prohibited students from conducting touch-and-go landings on solo cross-country flights. Given this policy and the postaccident throttle position, it is likely that the student was conducting a go-around and that he lost airplane control during the initial climb.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Loss of control
First missed decision gate
Student pilot could have aborted the flight or avoided steep turns.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

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

Docket documents11

Related mishaps