N5203H

Substantial
None

CESSNA 172S/N: 172S9732

Accident Details

Date
Wednesday, August 3, 2016
NTSB Number
GAA16CA416
Location
Palm Springs, CA
Event ID
20160804X62813
Coordinates
33.636943, -116.156387
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
Highest Injury
None
Fatalities
0
Serious Injuries
0
Minor Injuries
0
Uninjured
1
Total Aboard
1

Probable Cause and Findings

The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during an aborted landing, which resulted in a runway excursion and a nose over in rough terrain.

Aircraft Information

Registration
Make
CESSNA
Serial Number
172S9732
Engine Type
Reciprocating
Year Built
2004
Model / ICAO
172C172
Aircraft Type
Fixed Wing Single Engine
No. of Engines
1
Seats
4
FAA Model
172S

Registered Owner (Current)

Name
TEGRIDY EQUIPMENT LEASING LLC
Address
22785 AIRPORT RD NE
City
AURORA
State / Zip Code
OR 97002-9536
Country
United States

Analysis

The solo student pilot reported that during the landing roll, the airplane drifted to the right of the runway centerline and he applied left rudder to correct. He further reported that he decided to abort the landing and applied full power. Subsequently, the airplane veered to the left, departed the runway, and nosed over in rough terrain. The student pilot reported that the airplane remained at "full power" through the nose over.

The vertical stabilizer and both wings sustained substantial damage.

The student pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

The Federal Aviation Administration Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge in part states: "To the pilot, "torque" (the left turning tendency of the airplane) is made up of four elements that cause or produce a twisting or rotating motion around at least one of the airplane's three axes. These four elements are:

1. Torque reaction from engine and propeller

2. Corkscrewing effect of the slipstream

3. Gyroscopic action of the propeller

4. Asymmetric loading of the propeller (P-factor)"

It is likely that the student pilot did not counteract the left turning tendencies with sufficient right rudder after power was added to abort the landing.

Data Source

Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# GAA16CA416