Cessna 172 N12181 accident near Appleton, Minnesota

Probable cause

The student pilot’s loss of directional control while landing on an ice-covered runway, which resulted in a loss of directional control, and his failure to attain sufficient airspeed during a subsequent aborted landing, which resulted in a nose-over.

NTSB analysis

The student pilot reported that, during a solo cross-country flight, he flew over the airport to assess the runway conditions. He saw that the windsock indicated that he would be landing with a right crosswind, and he determined that the runway was suitable for landing. During the landing roll, the airplane encountered ice on the runway and drifted left. He added power to abort the landing, but the airplane exited the left side of the runway and collided with runway lighting. He pulled back on the yoke, and the airplane climbed momentarily, but the airplane did not have enough airspeed to sustain flight. The airplane touched down on the left side of the runway and nosed over.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing strut.

The student reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

The student reported that the wind during the landing was from 180° at 10 knots with no gusts. He landed the airplane on runway 13.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for GAA19CA118 for the full record.