CHI95LA055

Factual narrative

On December 21, 1994, about 1600 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172, N7656X, operated by a student pilot on a solo instructional flight, veered off the left side of the runway and collided with a snowbank after landing at Allegan, Michigan. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The student pilot, the sole occupant, reported no injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight, no flight plan was filed. The flight operated under 14 CFR Part 91, and originated from Allegan, Michigan, approximately 1555. The flight began as a dual instructional flight for the purpose of practicing takeoffs and landings. The student pilot and the Certificated Fight Instructor (CFI) departed their home base airport in Plainwell, Michigan, and flew to Allegan to perform touch and go landings. The CFI stated there was a light (6 to 8 knots) crosswind for Runway 10 at Allegan. He reported the student pilot performed satisfactory touch and go landings for about one hour before the CFI authorized his first supervised solo flight. The student pilot was instructed to perform three takeoffs and landings to a full stop, then taxi back to the ramp area where the CFI waited. The CFI stated the student pilot's first two landings appeared normal and smooth. The student pilot reported during the third landing flare the airplane began to drift to the left. He stated he did not apply sufficient control input to stop the drift and the airplane touched down with the left landing gear off the left side of the runway. The airplane struck a snowbank on the left side of the runway and nosed over. The student pilot had approximately 18 hours total flight time. THE CFI REPORTED THE FLIGHT STARTED AS A DUAL INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT, DURING WHICH THE STUDENT PILOT PRACTICED TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS. THE CFI STATED THE STUDENT PILOT'S PERFORMANCE WAS SATISFACTORY, SO HE AUTHORIZED AN INITIAL SUPERVISED SOLO FLIGHT. THE INSTRUCTOR OBSERVED THE STUDENT PILOT'S LANDINGS FROM THE RAMP. HE STATED THE FIRST TWO LANDINGS WERE NORMAL AND SMOOTH. THE STUDENT REPORTED THAT DURING THE THIRD LANDING FLARE THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO DRIFT TO THE LEFT, AND HE DID NOT APPLY SUFFICIENT CONTROL INPUT TO STOP THE DRIFT. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN WITH THE LEFT MAIN OFF THE RUNWAY, STRUCK A SNOWBANK AND NOSED OVER. THE STUDENT PILOT HAD ABOUT 18 HOURS TOTAL FLIGHT TIME. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12