Summary
On February 16, 2020, a Cessna 172 (N1126U) was involved in an incident near Rochester, NY. 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 pilot's failure to maintain airplane control during a go-around. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to take off after perceiving a rudder issue during taxi operations.
The pilot reported that, while on approach to landing, the airplane was hard to control, so he elected to troubleshoot the control issue in the air and initiated a go-around. The airplane lifted off the runway and began a climb, but rapidly rolled to the right, then left and impacted terrain. The pilot further described that the right rudder pedal was not functioning properly prior to the flight during taxi and that he had difficulty maintaining directional control during the approach.
This incident is documented in NTSB report ERA20CA102. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N1126U.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control during a go-around. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to take off after perceiving a rudder issue during taxi operations.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The pilot reported that, while on approach to landing, the airplane was hard to control, so he elected to troubleshoot the control issue in the air and initiated a go-around. The airplane lifted off the runway and began a climb, but rapidly rolled to the right, then left and impacted terrain. The pilot further described that the right rudder pedal was not functioning properly prior to the flight during taxi and that he had difficulty maintaining directional control during the approach. In addition, the pilot stated he lost directional control due to a rudder anomaly during a flight in the airplane that occurred several weeks prior.
A Federal Aviation Administrator inspector examined the airplane after the accident and confirmed that the airplane's wings had been substantially damaged during the accident. A postaccident examination of the rudder control system revealed no evidence of a pre accident mechanical failure or malfunction 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# ERA20CA102