Summary
On September 29, 2007, a Cessna 172P (N65998) was involved in an incident near Belleville, IL. 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 design limits of the aircraft being exceeded by a previous pilot during an unknown phase of flight.
The rental/instructional airplane was found with substantial damage during a post flight inspection by the airplane operator's maintenance personnel. On the day before the damage was discovered, two pilots, each of whom had separately flown the airplane, reported airplane discrepancies to maintenance personnel. The first pilot reported a discrepancy with the tire sidewall that he noted during his preflight inspection. The airplane was retuned to service after the wheel assembly was replaced and no further inspection was performed. The pilot then flew the airplane and returned without any further reported discrepancies. The second pilot reported a binding in the control column and could not reinstall the gust lock without difficulty during his preflight inspection.
This incident is documented in NTSB report CHI08CA011. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N65998.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
the design limits of the aircraft being exceeded by a previous pilot during an unknown phase of flight.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The rental/instructional airplane was found with substantial damage during a post flight inspection by the airplane operator's maintenance personnel. On the day before the damage was discovered, two pilots, each of whom had separately flown the airplane, reported airplane discrepancies to maintenance personnel. The first pilot reported a discrepancy with the tire sidewall that he noted during his preflight inspection. The airplane was retuned to service after the wheel assembly was replaced and no further inspection was performed. The pilot then flew the airplane and returned without any further reported discrepancies. The second pilot reported a binding in the control column and could not reinstall the gust lock without difficulty during his preflight inspection. Maintenance personnel then grounded the airplane for the day and found damage to the airplane firewall.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CHI08CA011