NYC94LA060

Factual narrative

On March 10, 1994, about 1715 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172K, N79136, piloted by Mr. Robert P. O'Rourke, collided with the terrain during a landing at the Dayton General Airport, South Dayton, Ohio. The airplane was substantially damaged, and the student pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight was being conducted under 14 CFR 91. The pilot was on his third supervised solo, and had landed. As the airplane touched down on the runway it bounced, and then departed the runway. According to the pilot's written statement on the NTSB Form 6120.1/2, at the time of the accident and after touchdown the airplane started, "...rolling to the side of the runway and normal right rudder pressure did not bring me back to the center, the safest thing was let the plane roll into the snow." The pilot wrote that when he first touched down: ...a gust of wind...caused the plane to leave the ground after initial touchdown and upon the second touchdown, I was not aligned with the center line...I have no doubt, I could have prevented this accident. THE PILOT WAS ON HIS THIRD SUPERVISED SOLO FLIGHT. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE WAS TRYING TO LAND WHEN THE AIRPLANE BOUNCED TWICE ON THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE VEERED OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY DESPITE THE PILOT'S ATTEMPT TO REGAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL BY APPLYING RIGHT RUDDER. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH A SNOWBANK. THE PILOT STATED: 'THERE WAS A GUST OF WIND AT TOUCH DOWN, WHICH CAUSED THE PLANE TO LEAVE THE GROUND AFTER INITIAL TOUCH DOWN AND UPON THE SECOND TOUCH DOWN, I WAS NOT ALIGNED WITH THE CENTERLINE. I NOW KNOW I SHOULD HAVE JAMMED THE RIGHT RUDDER AND NOT ACCEPTED RUNNING INTO THE SNOWBANK. I HAVE NO DOUBT, I COULD HAVE PREVENTED THE ACCIDENT.' Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12