N5229F

Substantial
None

Cessna 172FS/N: 17253280

Accident Details

Date
Thursday, September 12, 2019
NTSB Number
GAA19CA544
Location
Hemet, CA
Event ID
20190912X05539
Coordinates
33.727779, -117.030555
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
Highest Injury
None
Fatalities
0
Serious Injuries
0
Minor Injuries
0
Uninjured
2
Total Aboard
2

Probable Cause and Findings

The flight instructor's improper decision to perform a precautionary landing on unsuitable terrain, which resulted in a noseover. 

Aircraft Information

Registration
Make
CESSNA
Serial Number
17253280
Engine Type
Reciprocating
Year Built
1965
Model / ICAO
172FC172
Aircraft Type
Fixed Wing Single Engine
No. of Engines
1
Seats
4
FAA Model
172F

Registered Owner (Current)

Name
UNITED STATES AIR FORCE OWNER
Address
CANNON AIR FORCE BASE-OPERATOR
110 ALISON AVE E BLDG 600 STE2060
City
CLOVIS
State / Zip Code
NM 88103
Country
United States

Analysis

The flight instructor reported that, during landing, he directed the student pilot to initiate a go-around. During the climb, the instructor saw dust devils at the end of the runway, so he instructed the student to also initiate a slight left turn. The instructor then noticed power lines past the dust devils, so he decided to take the controls from the student and continued a shallow, 200 ft-per-minute climbing left turn to the south. While in the turn, the instructor saw other high-tension power lines to the south, so he decided to initiate a precautionary soft field landing to a plowed field adjacent to the runway. During landing, the nose landing gear touched down and the airplane nosed over.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right-wing lift strut and vertical stabilizer.

The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

An automated weather observation station, about 20 minutes before the accident, about 15 nautical miles north from the accident site, reported the wind was 310° at 6 knots, temperature of 97ºF, altimeter setting of 29.93. The calculated density altitude was about 4,237 ft. According to the Federal Aviation Administration density altitude Koch Chart, the airplane would have likely experienced about a 37% decrease to the normal climb rate, and about a 55% increase to the normal takeoff distance. The pilot reported that the wind was 140º at 6 knots. The airplane departed from runway 23.

Data Source

Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# GAA19CA544