Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Kalamazoo/Battle Creek Interna Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Kalamazoo, Michigan 49002
Friday, April 2, 2004 9:09 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane, operated by a university aviation training program as a student solo instructional flight, veered off runway 05 during landing. The flight was the student pilot's second solo flight at which time he had accumulated a total flight time of 28 hours. The university placed a maximum crosswind limitation of 5 knots for the student pilot's solo flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed with winds from 340 degrees at 13 knots at the time of the accident. The student pilot performed eight takeoff and landings on runway 35 when the tower air traffic controller instructed the student pilot to change to runway 05. The student pilot complied with the instruction and landed on runway 05 using a 30-degree flap setting. The airplane information manual states that in strong crosswinds a minimum flap setting required for field length should be used. Federal Aviation Order states that air traffic control (ATC) is to use the runway most nearly aligned with the wind when the wind is 5 knots or more. There was no runway in use program in effect for the accident runway. The order notes that if a pilot prefers to use a runway different from the one specified, the pilot is expected to advise ATC. The student pilot did not advise ATC of his preference of runway use.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The air traffic control procedures/directives not followed by tower air traffic controller, the inadequate compensation for wind conditions by the student pilot during landing, the lack of total experience by the student pilot, and the recommended crosswind flap setting not followed by the student pilot. The crosswind conditions were a contributing factor.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/2/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 909 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Kalamazoo |
| Event State | MICHIGAN |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 49002 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 421405N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0853307W |
| Event Location Airport | KALAMAZOO/BATTLE CREEK INTERNA |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | AZO |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 874 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 853 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | AZO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 892 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 6 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -4 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 340 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 13 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.98 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 19127 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 2 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1215 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 28 2006 12:35PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Grand Rapids FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N986AV |
| NTSB Number | CHI04LA097 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 172R |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 17280580 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2450 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | AAIP |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 28 2004 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 63.6 |
| Airframe Hours | 2647 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Western Michigan University |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 237 Helmer Road N |
| Aircraft Owner City | Battle Creek |
| Aircraft Owner State | MI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 49015 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | JX8S |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | AZO |
| Departure City | Kalamazoo |
| Departure State | MI |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 808 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | AZO |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 5 2005 12:28PM |
| User who most recently changed record | SULP |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 05 |
| Runway Length | 3436 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |