Aviation Crash Map

Cessna 172SP N37CJ

20 October 2004 · West Columbia, South Carolina, United States · No injuries

Summary

On 20 October 2004 at about 20:00 local time, a Cessna 172SP registered N37CJ was involved in an accident near West Columbia, South Carolina, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

The record

Date
at 20:00
Classification
Accident
Location
West Columbia, South Carolina, United States
Nearest airport
Columbia Metropolitan Airport (KCAE)
Coordinates
33.9389, -81.1194
Aircraft
Cessna 172SP
Registration
N37CJ
Category
Airplane
Engines
1
Operator
Not recorded
Operating rule
Part 91: General Aviation
Purpose of flight
Instructional
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Route
West Columbia → Unknown
Aircraft damage
Substantial
Weather
VMC
Light
Day
NTSB number
ATL05CA015

People

Nobody was injured.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
1 0 0 0 1

Probable cause

The student pilot's improper landing flare, inadequate recovery from a bounced landing and failure to maintain directional control during rollout. A factor was the runway sign.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The student pilot stated that during the touchdown, the airplane then "abruptly bounced" on the runway. He stated that he then increased engine power in an attempt to control the descent, but his efforts failed and the airplane bounced on the runway and became more difficult to control. The certified flight instructor of the student pilot, who was watching the flight from the ramp, stated that the on the second landing, the airplane "appeared to touch down hard and begin porpoise effect." The student pilot stated that the airplane then veered left of the runway centerline and departed the runway surface into a grassy area. He stated that he continued to apply right rudder and brakes, but was unable to avoid colliding with a runway sign. When the airplane came to a complete stop, the student pilot shut off the mixture control and fuel supply, retracted the flaps, radioed the tower, shut down the ignition and master switches, and waited for assistance. Post examination of the wreckage revealed that the lower portion of the firewall was buckled, and the nose gear was damaged. The student pilot did not report any mechanical anomalies with the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.

Other Cessna 172 accidents

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
18 Jul 2004 Cessna 172
CC-PJO
Algarrobo, Chile - Fatal 1
6 Sep 2004 Cessna 172S
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21 Mar 2004 Cessna 172N
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20 Mar 2004 Cessna 172P
N62058
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2 Sep 2004 Cessna 172S
N897TW
Willits, California, United States Edward A. Warburton Minor injuries -
20 Jan 2004 Cessna 172P
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All 12,209 records for this type

Other accidents in this area

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
9 Dec 2004 Diamond DA40-180
N42SE
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25 Oct 2004 Beechcraft BE-P35
N32AB
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23 Oct 2004 North American HARVARD II T-6
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Leesville, South Carolina, United States T-6 LLC Fatal 2
2 Apr 2004 Cessna 172N
N271EP
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5 Apr 2004 Smith AEROSTAR 601P
N869CC
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7 Feb 2004 Piper PA-28-161
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All 170,864 records in United States