Summary
On February 18, 2017, a Cessna 172N (N738DS) was involved in an incident near Statesville, NC. 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: A loss of airplane control during takeoff for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.
The student pilot was on the second leg of a solo cross county training flight. During the flare at the destination airport, he landed the airplane "hard" and it bounced twice before he was able to regained control. He taxied back to the beginning of the runway and conducted a run-up. Noting no anomalies, he taxied onto the runway and started the takeoff roll. During the takeoff, he pulled back on the yoke "too far" and the airplane climbed between 30 and 40 feet before entering an aerodynamic stall and colliding with the ground. The nose gear collapsed and the propeller struck the ground, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane before the landing.
This incident is documented in NTSB report ERA17CA114. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N738DS.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
A loss of airplane control during takeoff for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.
Aircraft Information
Analysis
The student pilot was on the second leg of a solo cross county training flight. During the flare at the destination airport, he landed the airplane "hard" and it bounced twice before he was able to regained control. He taxied back to the beginning of the runway and conducted a run-up. Noting no anomalies, he taxied onto the runway and started the takeoff roll. During the takeoff, he pulled back on the yoke "too far" and the airplane climbed between 30 and 40 feet before entering an aerodynamic stall and colliding with the ground. The nose gear collapsed and the propeller struck the ground, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane before the landing. It could not be determined whether the airplane incurred damage during the hard landing that would have impacted the pilot's ability to maintain pitch control during takeoff.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ERA17CA114