Morgantown Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Morgantown, West Virginia 26505
Sunday, October 29, 2006 11:07 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The student pilot departed from his home airport on a solo cross-country flight. He performed a "touch and go" at his first destination. He then proceeded to his second intended destination but, his first approach to the runway was "too high" so he executed a go around. He then attempted to land a second time. Due to "gusting winds," he was unable to land and elected to return to his home airport. Upon arriving at his home airport, he found that the wind was also gusting and his plane "floated" during the flare for landing. He attempted to go around, but the right wing "rose up" abruptly, the plane veered to the left, and struck trees. The student pilot's flight instructor reviewed the wind conditions prior to the student pilot's flight, and completed a logbook endorsement, which included a limitation of a 15-knot maximum headwind and 12-knot maximum crosswind. Winds at the approximate time of departure were forecast to be gusting to 25 knots. A weather observation made 15 minutes prior to the accident recorded the wind to be varying in direction 70 degrees, and gusting to 23 knots.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control and the flight instructor's improper planning and supervision of the student's solo cross country flight. A contributing factor was the wind gusts.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 10/29/2006
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1107
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City Morgantown
Event State WEST VIRGINIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 26505
Event Date Year 2006
Event Date Month 10
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 393834N
Event Location Longitude 0795459W
Event Location Airport Morgantown Municipal Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID MGW
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 1248
Weather Briefing Completeness --
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1053 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) --
Weather Observation Facility ID MGW
Elevation of weather observation facility 1248
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) --
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height --
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 6000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling --
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 10
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -4
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 280
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 8
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 23
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29.83
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) 21011
NTSB Notification Source EROC
NTSB Notification Date Oct 29 2006 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time --
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record Feb 26 2007 11:14AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\lema
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office Charleston, WV

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N952AC
NTSB Number NYC07CA014
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 172N
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 17268001
Certified Max Gross Weight 2300
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class --
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 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Sep 1 2006 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 22.7
Airframe Hours 10531.4
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name Flight Source LLC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address --
Aircraft Owner City Morgantown
Aircraft Owner State WV
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 26508
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 --
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 No
Departure Airport Code PKB
Departure City Parkersburg
Departure State WV
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 915
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code MGW
Destination City Morgantown
Destination State WV
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight Approach
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Dec 4 2006 10:51AM
User who most recently changed record MUZD
Since inspection or accident Last Inspection
Event Location Runway Number and Location 23
Runway Length 2769
Runway Width 75
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --