Cessna 172S N17304

Summary

On 18 May 2024 at about 15:00 local time, a Cessna 172S registered N17304 was involved in an accident near Prescott, Arizona, 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

18 May 2024 at 15:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Prescott, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Prescott Regional Airport - Ea (PRC)

Coordinates

34.6417, -112.4288

Aircraft

Cessna 172S

Registration

N17304

Category

Airplane

Year built

2007

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR24LA191

Nobody was injured.

The student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing following an aborted takeoff which resulted in a runway excursion and impact with a ditch.

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 a takeoff, while about 3 to 5 ft above the ground, a couple of birds flew across the windscreen. The student pilot aborted the takeoff to land on the remaining runway. The airplane descended onto the runway and veered to the left, exited the runway, across the taxiway and impacted a ditch, which resulted in substantial damage to the right horizontal stabilizer. The student pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.