Accident Overview
On August 26, 2018, at approximately 1610 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172M, registration N1537U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Quinton, Virginia. The student pilot sustained serious injuries. The airplane was being operated as a solo instructional flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
Witness Account
A witness located outside the main hangar of New Kent County Airport (W96) reported hearing loud engine noise and observing the airplane in a steep left turn with the nose about 40° down. The airplane descended out of view behind a hangar, and the witness heard the sound of impact shortly thereafter. The witness did not observe a go-around or touch-and-go landing prior to the turn.
Accident Site Examination
Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane struck a power line approximately 700 feet left of the runway centerline at midfield. It then impacted terrain and three sections of fencing while crossing a road, coming to rest nose down in grass adjacent to the fixed-base operator's parking lot. The wreckage path was 65 feet long, oriented on a magnetic heading of about 85°, opposite to the runway heading.
Aircraft Condition
All major components were present at the accident site. The forward fuselage was crushed aft in a 90° nose-down attitude. The empennage was completely separated just aft of the rear window and folded downward. Both wings were substantially damaged and crushed aft; the left wing was partially separated near its root, with an outboard 3-foot section of the left wing and aileron separated. Flight control continuity was established from the cockpit to all control surfaces. The flaps were retracted, and the elevator trim tab actuator was extended about 1 1/2 inches (approximately 5° trailing edge up).
Engine controls were found in the full-forward position: throttle, mixture, and carburetor heat. The fuel selector was in the "both" position. Both wing fuel tank outlet screens and the fuel strainer were free of debris. Engine crankshaft and valvetrain continuity were confirmed, and both magnetos produced spark on all towers. Spark plugs showed normal wear with some corrosion. Thumb compression and suction were confirmed for all cylinders. The air filter was unobstructed. One propeller blade was bent rearward about 80° (12 inches from the hub), and the other blade was bent rearward about 10° (30 inches from the hub); both exhibited leading-edge polishing, gouging, and chordwise scratching.