Summary
On April 20, 2018, a Cessna 172 (N23AT) was involved in an incident near San Jose, CA. All 2 people 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 failure to maintain the runway heading during the approach to land, and the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action.
The manager at the flight school reported that, during a training flight, the student allowed the airplane to drift to the right of the runway centerline on approach. He added that, the flight instructor reminded the student to remain on the centerline, but as the airplane flared for landing it continued to drift to the right of the centerline. The student applied full right rudder, the airplane "yawed and banked to the left", the instructor initiated a go-around, but the right main landing gear struck a taxiway sign.
This incident is documented in NTSB report GAA18CA232. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N23AT.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The student pilot’s failure to maintain the runway heading during the approach to land, and the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
The manager at the flight school reported that, during a training flight, the student allowed the airplane to drift to the right of the runway centerline on approach. He added that, the flight instructor reminded the student to remain on the centerline, but as the airplane flared for landing it continued to drift to the right of the centerline. The student applied full right rudder, the airplane "yawed and banked to the left", the instructor initiated a go-around, but the right main landing gear struck a taxiway sign. Subsequently, the flight instructor continued the go-around and landed without further incident.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right horizontal stabilizer and elevator.
The manager at the flight school reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane 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# GAA18CA232