NTSB Factual Report

On February 13, 2001, at 1250 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172R, N975BC, piloted by a student pilot, sustained substantial damage during an on-ground collision with a snowbank following a loss of control during a takeoff run on runway 23 (10,003 feet by 150 feet, dry/asphalt) at the W K Kellogg Airport, Battle Creek, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The solo instructional flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 and was not on a flight plan. The student pilot, the sole occupant, reported no injuries. The local flight departed the W K Kellogg Airport at 1242.

According to the pilot's written statement, he was on his second solo flight and was practicing touch-and-go's at the time of the accident. The pilot stated, "I performed the first circuit [traffic pattern] correctly and placed [landed] the aircraft a little to the left of the centerline. My intention was to do a touch and go. I looked down upon touchdown to give the aircraft full throttle. As I did this I felt the nose shake a little. When I looked up, the tail simultaneously fishtailed to the right." The pilot reported, "I was heading directly for the left side of the runway edge. I tried to correct the situation with right rudder, but my recovery was either not quick enough or I didn't get enough response from the rudder." The pilot stated, "The nose hit the snow immediately at the edge of the runway and sunk in. The rest of the aircraft flipped over the sunken nose wheel."

NTSB Probable Cause

Aircraft control not maintained by the student pilot during the takeoff roll. Factors to the accident were the student pilot's lack of experience and the snowbank.