Summary
On April 29, 2001, a Cessna 172P (N64776) was involved in an incident near Pleasanton, TX. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing flare/touchdown. Contributory factors were the gusty wind and the student pilot's lack of total flight experience.
On April 29, 2001, at 1500 central daylight time, a Cessna 172P airplane, N64776, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain after an in flight loss of control while landing at the Pleasanton Municipal Airport, Pleasanton, Texas. The airplane was registered to Christiansen Aviation Inc., of Wilmington, Delaware, and operated by Stinson Air Center, of San Antonio, Texas. The student pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional solo flight.
This incident is documented in NTSB report FTW01LA123. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N64776.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
the student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing flare/touchdown. Contributory factors were the gusty wind and the student pilot's lack of total flight experience.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
On April 29, 2001, at 1500 central daylight time, a Cessna 172P airplane, N64776, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain after an in flight loss of control while landing at the Pleasanton Municipal Airport, Pleasanton, Texas. The airplane was registered to Christiansen Aviation Inc., of Wilmington, Delaware, and operated by Stinson Air Center, of San Antonio, Texas. The student pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional solo flight. The local flight originated from the Stinson Municipal Airport, San Antonio, Texas, at 1410.
The student pilot reported that he departed from the Stinson Municipal Airport and flew to the Pleasanton Municipal Airport. According to the pilot, the Pleasanton Unicom reported wind variable at 4 knots. He flew a normal traffic pattern for runway 16, and on final approach, the airplane was at an airspeed of 65 knots and aligned with the runway centerline. Prior to landing, the pilot verified that the wind was straight down the runway by looking at the windsock. Upon touchdown, a "crosswind gust from 070 degrees began pushing [the] airplane to the right." Subsequently, the airplane exited the runway and impacted a ditch that was 15-20 feet wide and 5 feet deep. The left wing spar was damaged during the impact.
The pilot had accumulated 39.2 flight hours, all of which were in the accident make and model airplane. According to the operator, this was the student's first solo flight.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# FTW01LA123