Cessna 172 N739XT
31 January 2020 · Crystal River, Florida, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 31 January 2020 at about 19:05 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N739XT, operated by Crystal Aero Group, was involved in an accident near Crystal River, Florida, 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 19:05
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Crystal River, Florida, United States
- Nearest airport
- Crystal River-Captain Tom Davi (CGC)
- Coordinates
- 28.8675, -82.5742
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172
- Registration
- N739XT
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1978
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Crystal Aero Group
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Crystal River → Crystal River
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ERA20CA093
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during takeoff, which resulted in a runway excursion and subsequent nose-over.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
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 takeoff, the airplane veered left, so he applied right rudder, but he was unable to regain directional control. The airplane exited the runway onto the adjacent grass and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, the left-wing lift strut, and the vertical stabilizer. The student reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The 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.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Cessna 172 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Sep 2020 | Cessna 172 | Higginsville, Missouri, United States | University of Central Missouri | No injuries | - |
| 6 Feb 2020 | Cessna 172 | Palmer, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 2 May 2020 | Cessna 172 | Fresno, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 2 Aug 2020 | Cessna 172 | Conway, Arkansas, United States | Barrett Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 3 Oct 2020 | Cessna 172 | Hinckley, Minnesota, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 31 Dec 2020 | Cessna 172R | Hope, Alaska, United States | Elmendorf Air Force Base Aero Club | Minor injuries | - |
All 12,209 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Aug 2020 | Piper PA32 | Tallahassee, Florida, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 25 Jun 2020 | Bell 206 | Coconut Creek, Florida, United States | Hmc Lift Llc | Serious injuries | - |
| 15 Jun 2020 | Piper PA46 | Williston, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 3 May 2020 | Airbus Helicopters AS350 | Clewiston, Florida, United States | MacNeil Aviation LLC | No injuries | - |
| 30 Jan 2020 | Piper PA28 | Naples, Florida, United States | Apflight Llc | No injuries | - |
| 31 Dec 2020 | Cessna 501 | Opa Locka, Florida, United States | Interstellar Air LLC | No injuries | - |