LAX03LA023

Factual narrative

On November 5, 2002, about 1515 Pacific standard time, a Cessna 172M, N13265, veered off the runway and nosed over during an attempted takeoff from the Mesquite (uncontrolled) Airport, Mesquite, Nevada. The airplane was substantially damaged, and the student pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated by West Air Aviation, North Las Vegas, Nevada, under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a visual flight rules flight plan had been filed for the solo instructional flight. The flight originated from North Las Vegas about 1435. The student pilot and her certified flight instructor (CFI) were interviewed by the National Transportation Safety Board investigator. They reported that the accident occurred during the student's first solo cross-country flight. The student had previously landed at the accident airport with her CFI, and she had received a 90-day logbook endorsement to return to the airport. The student stated that she entered the airport's traffic pattern and made a normal approach to runway 19. She intended to perform a touch-and-go landing. According to the student, following her unremarkable touchdown, she retracted the wing flaps and applied full engine power to take off. At this moment, the airplane began turning left, and she attempted to correct its course by applying pressure to the right rudder pedal. However, the airplane's course continued toward the left. The airplane overran the left side of the runway, collided with a ditch and nosed over. The CFI opined that his student may not have applied sufficient right rudder pressure to counteract the airplane's left turning tendency after the application of engine power. At the time of the accident, the student's total solo flight time, and total time, was 4.2 and 25.3 hours, respectively. Runway 19 is 5,100 feet long and 75 feet wide. The pilot reported that at the time of the accident the local wind was calm. During an attempted takeoff, the student pilot lost directional control of the airplane and it veered off the side of the runway, collided with a ditch, and nosed over. The accident occurred during the student's first solo cross-country flight. According to the student, she had made a normal approach and landing on runway 19. Thereafter, she retracted the wing flaps and applied full engine power to take off. At this moment, the airplane began turning left, and she attempted to correct its course by applying pressure to the right rudder pedal. The student was unsuccessful in redirecting the airplane onto its proper course down the 75-foot-wide by 5,100-foot-long runway under the prevailing calm wind condition. The student's CFI opined that his student may not have applied sufficient right rudder pressure to counteract the airplane's left turning tendency after the application of engine power. At the time of the accident, the student's total solo flight time, and total time, was 4.2 and 25.3 hours, respectively. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12