Cessna 172
Rochester, NY — February 16, 2020
Event Information
| Date | February 16, 2020 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| NTSB Number | ERA20CA102 |
| Event ID | 20200217X00641 |
| Location | Rochester, NY |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 43.11917, -77.67194 |
| Airport | Greater Rochester Intl |
| 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 pilot's failure to maintain airplane control during a go-around. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to take off after perceiving a rudder issue during taxi operations.
Full Narrative
The pilot reported that, while on approach to landing, the airplane was hard to control, so he elected to troubleshoot the control issue in the air and initiated a go-around. The airplane lifted off the runway and began a climb, but rapidly rolled to the right, then left and impacted terrain. The pilot further described that the right rudder pedal was not functioning properly prior to the flight during taxi and that he had difficulty maintaining directional control during the approach. In addition, the pilot stated he lost directional control due to a rudder anomaly during a flight in the airplane that occurred several weeks prior.
A Federal Aviation Administrator inspector examined the airplane after the accident and confirmed that the airplane's wings had been substantially damaged during the accident. A postaccident examination of the rudder control system revealed no evidence of a pre accident mechanical failure or malfunction 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.