Cessna 172 N903WA

Summary

On 17 October 2002 at about 20:34 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N903WA was involved in an accident near Opa Locka, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

17 October 2002 at 20:34

Classification

Accident

Location

Opa Locka, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Opalocka (OPF)

Coordinates

25.9500, -80.4167

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N903WA

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Opa Locka → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL03LA005

Nobody was injured.

The pilot' inadequate evaluation of weather information, and the selection of the wrong runway that resulted in an attempted takeoff with a tailwind and the subsequent loss of control during takeoff.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The certified flight instructor (CFI), who was flying the airplane, and the student pilot were conducting touch-and-go landings to runway 27. They had completed three touch-and-go procedures and were on the fourth takeoff when an updraft lifted the airplane off the runway. The student pilot reported that the airplane ballooned into the air and came down "hard" on to the runway. The airplane also collided with a runway light and the right wing tip was also damaged. The CFI did not report a mechanical problem with the airplane. The nearest weather reporting facility, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, reported prevailing winds from 050 degrees at 14 knots at the time of the accident. The CFI obtained weather information from Opa Locka Automatic Terminal Information System (ATIS)

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.