Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
the student pilot failed to maintain directional control during takeoff. A contributing factor was the snowbank.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
On February 5, 2002, at 1700 central standard time, a Cessna 172N, N733FT, sustained substantial damage when it impacted a snow bank and nosed over during takeoff. The student pilot was not injured. The 14 CFR Part 91 solo instructional flight was departing runway 31 (5,885 feet by 150 feet, dry asphalt) at Ottumwa Industrial Airport (OTM), Ottumwa, Iowa, when it impacted the snow bank. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed.
The student pilot reported he had completed three touch and go landings. He reported that during the fourth touch and go, the airplane went to the left after he applied power. He reported, "I pushed the power in and tried to bring the plane back to the right but was unsuccessful. The plane then hit the snow bank along the runway and flipped over on its top. Once stopped, I turned off the master switch and the key, took off my shoulder harness, seat belt, [and] then exited the plane."
The inspection of the airplane revealed no preexisting anomalies or airworthiness discrepancies.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CHI02LA076