Cessna 172
Lawrenceville, GA — October 14, 2018
Event Information
| Date | October 14, 2018 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| NTSB Number | GAA19CA020 |
| Event ID | 20181014X33428 |
| Location | Lawrenceville, GA |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 33.97805, -83.96250 |
| Airport | Gwinnett County - Briscoe Fiel |
| Highest Injury | NONE |
Aircraft
| Make | Cessna |
| Model | 172 |
| Category | AIR |
| FAR Part | 091 |
| Aircraft Damage | SUBS |
Conditions
| Light Condition | DAYL |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 0 |
| Minor | 0 |
| None | 2 |
| Total Injured | 0 |
Event Location
Probable Cause
The student pilot's improper pitch application, which resulted in a hard landing and subsequent fire. Contributing to the accident was the student’s failure to give over the flight controls to the flight instructor when instructed to do so.
Full Narrative
The flight instructor reported that the student pilot's approach angle was too shallow. The student applied forward pressure to the yoke and the airplane's nose pitched down.
The instructor recalled that the student's pitch application was excessive, and he called for a transfer of the flight controls. However, the student remained on the controls and the instructor had to overpower the student's control inputs while the airplane was in a 45° nose down attitude.
The airplane landed hard in a level attitude, and the nose landing gear collapsed. A fire erupted in the cabin and the instructor used the fire extinguisher to attempt to extinguish the fire. Subsequently, the airplane slid to a stop on the runway, and both occupants exited as the fire consumed the cabin.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the cabin and the wings.
The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
About This NTSB Record
This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.