Cessna 172M N5399Q
13 August 2011 · Elkins, West Virginia, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 13 August 2011 at about 15:30 local time, a Cessna 172M registered N5399Q, operated by Michael D. Knopp, was involved in an accident near Elkins, West Virginia, United States. 3 people were 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 15:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Elkins, West Virginia, United States
- Coordinates
- 38.8894, -79.8569
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M
- Registration
- N5399Q
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Michael D. Knopp
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Elkins → Elkins
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ERA11CA450
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Probable cause
The flight instructor's unfamiliarity with the geographic area, resulting in controlled flight into terrain.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The certified flight instructor (CFI) directed the student pilot to perform a touch-and-go landing. During climb out, the CFI informed the student they would be conducting some mountain flying and instructed him to climb straight ahead over a ridge line. Upon clearing the ridge line, the CFI directed the student to make a right turn into a canyon. After entering the canyon, the CFI realized he was in the wrong area and the airplane would be unable to clear the ridge line in front of them. He took control of the airplane and made a left turn towards the left side of the canyon. He then initiated a hard right turn and realized there was insufficient room to reverse course. He leveled the wings of the airplane and it collided with the trees. The airplane sustained substantial damage and came to rest on the side of the ridge. The CFI stated there were no mechanical problems with the airplane and he was unfamiliar with the geographic area.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Cessna 172 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Feb 2011 | Cessna 172N | Andrews, Texas, United States | Stephan Warren Company | Serious injuries | - |
| 28 Nov 2011 | Cessna 172K | Napa, California, United States | Stratus Aviation, LLC | No injuries | - |
| 16 Apr 2011 | Cessna 172 | Greenville, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 8 Jun 2011 | Cessna 172P | Palo Alto, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Aug 2011 | Cessna 172M | Titusville, Pennsylvania, United States | Titusville Aeroclub Inc | Fatal | 2 |
| 27 Feb 2011 | Cessna 172N | Welch, West Virginia, United States | Samuel Hazzard, Jr | Serious injuries | - |
All 12,209 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Oct 2011 | Harry L Weber ARION LI | Hedgesville, West Virginia, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 3 Oct 2011 | Piper PA-32R-300 | Peru, West Virginia, United States | Wings R US | Fatal | 3 |
| 17 Mar 2011 | Robinson R44 | Petersburg, West Virginia, United States | Kevin C Rychlik | No injuries | - |
| 18 Oct 2011 | Graff Wilbur C BEARHAWK | Woodrow, West Virginia, United States | McCourt Dwayne E | No injuries | - |
| 30 Jul 2011 | McFarland Wm H RANS S6S | Huntington, West Virginia, United States | Paul E. Adams | Serious injuries | - |
| 17 Sep 2011 | North American T-28C | Martinsburg, West Virginia, United States | Mangan John W | Fatal | 1 |