Cessna 172 N53051 accident near Winchester, Virginia

Probable cause

The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll.

NTSB analysis

The student pilot reported that he completed a touch-and-go landing and applied full power to increase the airplane's ground speed. During the takeoff roll, the engine power increased, and the airplane drifted to the left side of the runway. The student applied full right rudder, but it was ineffective. He then reduced the engine power to idle and applied brakes, but the airplane exited the left side of the runway, collided with a drainage culvert, and then came to rest inverted.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing lift strut, the vertical stabilizer, and the rudder.

The student reported that he thought that a mechanical malfunction of the rudder system might have occurred before the accident sequence. However, Federal Aviation Administration aviation safety inspectors reported that, during a postaccident airplane examination, the rudder system was operational, and rudder control continuity was established.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for GAA18CA513 for the full record.