N739XT

On January 31, 2020, a Cessna 172 (N739XT) was involved in an incident near Crystal River, FL. 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: The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during takeoff, which resulted in a runway excursion and subsequent nose-over.

The student pilot reported that, during the preflight inspection for his second solo flight, "the rudder pedals felt as if they had less resistance than normal." While conducting the second taking off, the airplane veered left, he applied right rudder but was unable to regain directional control. The airplane exited the runway to the left, on to the adjacent grass and nosed over.The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, the left wing lift strut, and the vertical stabilizer.

A Federal Aviation Administrator inspector who examined the airplane after the accident confirmed flight control continuity and reported no anomalies with the flight controls or brakes.

This incident is documented in NTSB report ERA20CA093. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N739XT.