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C172 hits pond when nosewheel fails on takeoff

By NTSB · March 25, 2022 ·

According to the flight instructor, after a normal pre-flight inspection of the Cessna 172 and engine run-up, the student pilot taxied to the runway at the airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, for takeoff and began the takeoff roll.

Everything seemed normal as the airplane accelerated, however as the airplane rotated it started to yaw abnormally to the left.

The flight instructor attempted to overcome the left yaw by pressing on the right rudder to assist the student pilot. He was unable to overcome the left yaw, took over the flight controls, and aborted the takeoff.

The airplane bounced to the left and hit the bank of a retention pond.

Examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector revealed that the forward fuselage and firewall was buckled.

Further examination revealed that the nose gear steering tube rod end failed and rust was noted on the threaded area of the fractured surfaces.

Probable Cause: The failure of the nosewheel steerage linkage during takeoff, which resulted in a loss of directional control and impact with an obstacle during an attempted aborted landing.

NTSB Identification: 101084

To download the final report. Click here. This will trigger a PDF download to your device.

This March 2020 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.

About NTSB

The National Transportation Safety Board is an independent federal agency charged by Congress with investigating every civil aviation accident in the United States and significant events in the other modes of transportation, including railroad, transit, highway, marine, pipeline, and commercial space. It determines the probable causes of accidents and issues safety recommendations aimed at preventing future occurrences.

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Comments

  1. JimH in CA says

    March 28, 2022 at 8:32 pm

    I suspect that the aircraft was towed by a vehicle , maybe a number of times, and fractured the rod end threaded shaft by turn at an excessive angle.
    From the C172S poh….
    ‘ When towing with a vehicle, do not exceed the
    nose gear turning angle of 30° either side of center, or damage to the
    nose landing gear will result. ‘

    The rust is a surface defect, probably due to the warm salt air in Fl.

  2. Robert says

    March 28, 2022 at 8:11 am

    My guess would be poor maintenance not easy to find a good mechanic.

  3. scott k patterson says

    March 28, 2022 at 6:35 am

    Doesn’t really say whether it failed due to rust or fatigue. I’ve seen some little airstrips in the keys (tourist scenic and other special flights…lol) that had been through naval bombardments

    • Robert Hartmaier says

      March 28, 2022 at 9:12 am

      What does a naval bombardment have to do with rust or fatigue?

  4. Jim Macklin ATP/CFII says

    March 28, 2022 at 6:21 am

    When the nose wheel steering failed the brakes still worked. Aft elevator to lift the skewed nose wheel would have regained directional control.
    Good maintenance requires time and money.
    I wonder if this airplane was landed on a salt water beech sand and only washed?

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