Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing, which resulted in a runway excursion.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
On April 30, 2019, about 1925 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N733UF, was substantially damaged while landing at Coastal Carolina Regional Airport (EWN), New Bern, North Carolina. The student pilot incurred minor injuries. The local solo instructional flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the flight that departed EWN about 1920.
The student pilot reported that during his first solo flight, the airplane veered left after touchdown on runway 22. He attempted to correct with right rudder and left aileron; however, the airplane travelled into the grass off the left side of the runway and struck a ditch, before coming to rest upright. The student pilot added that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane.
Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed damage to the right horizontal stabilizer, engine mount, and firewall.
The recorded weather at EWN, at 1925, included wind from 190° at 5 knots, visibility 10 miles and sky clear.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ERA19TA166