Cessna 172R N72AF

Summary

On 5 January 2016 at about 18:35 local time, a Cessna 172R registered N72AF, operated by Ameriflyers of California Inc, was involved in an accident near Sulfur Springs, Texas, 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.

Date

5 January 2016 at 18:35

Classification

Accident

Location

Sulfur Springs, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Sulphur Springs (SLR)

Coordinates

33.1583, -95.6211

Aircraft

Cessna 172R

Registration

N72AF

Category

Airplane

Year built

1997

Engines

1

Operator

Ameriflyers of California Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Addison → Sulfur Springs

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN16LA092

Nobody was injured.

The student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The student pilot was landing at the destination airport after conducting a cross-country solo flight. He reported that, during the touchdown, he lost directional control of the airplane. The airplane crossed over a grass strip onto a taxiway, crossed the taxiway, and impacted a ditch. The nosewheel got stuck in the ditch, and the airplane nosed over, which resulted in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and rudder, left wing strut, cowling, firewall, and engine mount. The nose landing gear was separated at the firewall. An examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies with the flight controls, engine, or other airplane systems. Calm wind existed at the time of the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.