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GAA18CA175

2018-03-23 · Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, United States · Minor · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport BVI

Current FAA registration · N987AV

Make / Model
CESSNA 172R
Year of manufacture
1998 · 20 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING I0360 SER (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19981029
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S ADC539

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

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

Factual narrative

The student pilot reported that, during landing, the left wheel came up off the ground and the airplane veered to the right. The right wing hit snow piles and the nose landing gear sheared off. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine mount. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. A review of recorded data from the automated weather observation station located on the airport reported that, about 28 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 330° at 5 knots. The airplane landed on runway 28. The student pilot reported that, during landing, the left wheel rose off the ground and that the airplane veered to the right. The right wing hit snow piles, and the nose landing gear sheared off. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine mount. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation station located on the airport reported that, about 28 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 330° at 5 knots. The airplane landed on runway 28. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained - C
  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Student/instructed pilot - C
  • — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Snow/ice-Effect on operation

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2018_GAA18CA175.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Related research

Matched on aircraft type. All research papers