Accident Overview
On August 22, 2018, at about 1050 central daylight time, a Cessna 172L, registration N4275Q, made a precautionary landing shortly after takeoff from Shreveport Regional Airport (SHV), Shreveport, Louisiana. The student pilot sustained minor injuries, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The intended solo cross-country flight was to Texarkana Regional Airport-Webb Field (TXK), Texarkana, Arkansas.
Preflight and Departure
The student pilot arrived at SHV around 0930 to preflight the airplane. The preflight inspection was routine, with no anomalies noted except low tire pressure on both main landing gear. The engine had about 7 quarts of oil, and both fuel tanks were full. After obtaining a taxi clearance, the pilot repositioned the aircraft to a maintenance facility owned by her father, where they inflated both main tires and polished the windscreen. The engine restarted without hesitation and ran normally. She then taxied to runway 24 and requested visual flight rules flight following to TXK. The surface wind was from 100° magnetic at 4 knots. The before-takeoff engine runup was uneventful; engine speed increased to 1,700 rpm, both magnetos were functional, carburetor heat caused a corresponding rpm decrease, and engine oil temperature and pressure were normal. Flight controls moved freely, elevator trim was set slightly nose-up for takeoff. The pilot received a takeoff clearance about 30 seconds after being instructed to hold short.
Flight and Landing
The takeoff run was normal, and rotation occurred at 60 knots. After liftoff, the pilot noted that elevator force feedback and kinetic forces were less than normal. She established a normal climb pitch attitude and climbed to about 800 ft mean sea level, where she perceived degraded climb performance and airspeed decreasing from 75 to 70 knots. The airplane would not climb without loss of airspeed. She reduced pitch to increase airspeed and avoid a stall. The throttle remained at full power, and the engine ran smoothly. Despite no observed engine anomalies, she concluded engine issues were present and informed the tower controller of engine issues and intention to land. The controller cleared her to land on any runway. She made an immediate left turn near midfield to land on runway 14. After aligning, airspeed had increased to 95-100 knots, and the airplane was too high for a normal landing. She reduced engine power to idle and attempted to glide to the runway. Unable to land on remaining runway, she made a slight left turn to land in the grass area southeast of the runway. The airplane bounced three times in the grass before the nose gear collapsed. It then impacted a drainage ditch at the airport perimeter. The pilot was not wearing the available shoulder harness; she was briefly knocked unconscious when her forehead hit the glare shield and chin hit the instrument panel.
Pilot Experience and Post-Accident Analysis
The pilot acknowledged that the engine did not malfunction and postulated a wingtip vortex encounter. She further acknowledged insufficient experience to correctly identify and recover from a wake turbulence encounter. She began flight training on June 15, 2018, with all flights in a Cessna 172. She had flown 63 hours total, including 9 hours solo. A postaccident review of available air traffic control radar track data did not identify any departing or landing aircraft during the 15 minutes before the accident that would have resulted in a wake turbulence encounter.
Aircraft Examination
The airplane was examined by an FAA inspector. The landing rollout measured 553 ft long before impact with a drainage ditch and embankment. The nose landing gear collapsed; the airplane came to rest on the lower engine cowl. Cabin floor boards were buckled. The ignition switch and fuel selector were repositioned to OFF by the fire department, and the positive battery terminal was disconnected. Flight control cable continuity was confirmed. Engine control continuity was confirmed. Sufficient fuel was observed in both wing tanks; neither tank appeared damaged. Fuel samples were blue with an odor consistent with 100 low-lead aviation gasoline, with no water or particulate contamination. The engine remained partially attached to the firewall; several engine mounts were bent or fractured. The propeller remained attached; one blade was bent aft about 90°, the other undamaged. No anomalies were observed with the engine crankcase or exterior-mounted components. Spark plugs exhibited normal operation. Internal engine and valve train continuity were confirmed; compression and suction were noted on all cylinders with acceptable pressures. The left magneto sparked on all posts; the right magneto had no impulse coupling. The engine had about 6 quarts of oil. The oil cooler was impact damaged and leaking. The carburetor fuel inlet screen was free of contamination; the carburetor bowl contained fuel with no contamination. Disassembly revealed no anomalies with venturi, metal floats, accelerator pump, or needle valve. The postaccident examination found no evidence of a mechanical malfunction that would have precluded normal engine operation during flight.
Weather
At 1056, about 6 minutes after the accident, the SHV automated surface observing system reported: wind direction variable at 3 knots, 10 miles visibility, few clouds at 4,500 ft agl, scattered clouds at 28,000 ft agl, temperature 29°C, dew point 18°C, and altimeter setting 30.17 inches of mercury.