Event LAX94LA186

Factual narrative

On April 11, 1994, at 1644 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172P, N54006, collided with the ground following a loss of control in the takeoff initial climb at the Elko, Nevada, airport. The aircraft was owned and operated by El Aero Services, Inc., of Elko, Nevada, and was rented by the pilot for a local area solo instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft incurred substantial damage and the student pilot, the sole occupant, sustained serious injuries. The flight originated at the Elko airport on the day of the accident at 1545 hours. The student's flight instructor witnessed the accident. He reported that the student was on his second supervised solo and had performed four or five takeoffs and landings. On the accident landing, the pilot "bounced fairly high." The student then started a left turn with the power reduced and the flaps extended. The flight instructor stated that he used the radio in an attempt to tell the student to add power, retract the flaps, and lower the aircraft nose; however, the student did not seem to respond to the instructions. The turn continued until the aircraft entered a stall, then impacted the ground nose first. The aircraft was examined by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors who reported that no discrepancies were found. THE STUDENT'S FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WITNESSED THE ACCIDENT. HE REPORTED THAT THE STUDENT WAS ON HIS SECOND SUPERVISED SOLO AND HAD PERFORMED FOUR OR FIVE TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS. ON THE ACCIDENT LANDING, THE AIRPLANE 'BOUNCED FAIRLY HIGH.' THE STUDENT THEN STARTED A LEFT TURN WITH THE POWER REDUCED AND THE FLAPS EXTENDED. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR STATED THAT HE USED THE RADIO IN AN ATTEMPT TO TELL THE STUDENT TO ADD POWER, RETRACT THE FLAPS, AND LOWER THE AIRCRAFT NOSE; HOWEVER, THE STUDENT DID NOT SEEM TO RESPOND TO THE INSTRUCTIONS. THE TURN CONTINUED UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED A STALL, THEN IMPACTED THE GROUND NOSE FIRST. THE AIRCRAFT WAS EXAMINED BY FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION INSPECTORS WHO REPORTED THAT NO DISCREPANCIES WERE FOUND. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12