Summary
On November 24, 2014, a Cessna 172M (N12915) was involved in an incident near Obyan, USA. 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 loss of airplane control during the landing flare in gusting wind conditions.
The student pilot was flying the first leg of a solo cross-country flight. The departure was uneventful, and she requested a stop-and-go landing with air traffic controllers as she approached the first destination. She received the clearance and began to initiate the descent while extending the flaps. During the landing flare the airplane encountered a gust of wind, and she applied forward elevator pressure. The nosewheel struck the ground hard and she attempted to perform a go-around, but the airplane departed to the right of the runway and came to rest in a grass area. The nose gear was bent aft during the initial ground strike, and the airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall and forward fuselage.
This incident is documented in NTSB report WPR15CA069. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N12915.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The student pilot's loss of airplane control during the landing flare in gusting wind conditions.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The student pilot was flying the first leg of a solo cross-country flight. The departure was uneventful, and she requested a stop-and-go landing with air traffic controllers as she approached the first destination. She received the clearance and began to initiate the descent while extending the flaps. During the landing flare the airplane encountered a gust of wind, and she applied forward elevator pressure. The nosewheel struck the ground hard and she attempted to perform a go-around, but the airplane departed to the right of the runway and came to rest in a grass area. The nose gear was bent aft during the initial ground strike, and the airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall and forward fuselage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# WPR15CA069