On 14 May 2019, a Cessna 172 F operated by MJH Aero Inc was involved in an aviation accident near Tomball, TX. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing with a left crosswind, which resulted in a runway excursion and subsequent nose-over. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
During a crosswind landing, a student pilot experienced nose wheel shimmy, then the airplane rolled right and yawed. After left rudder input and heavy braking, the airplane entered soft soil and nosed over inverted, damaging both wings.
Incident Overview
A student pilot reported that, during landing, he made flight control and power setting inputs to compensate for a left crosswind. Shortly after touchdown, the nose wheel "violently shimmied," prompting the pilot to apply back pressure on the control yoke. Subsequently, the airplane began to roll and yaw to the right. The pilot reacted with left rudder control, and the nose wheel began to shimmy again. The airplane traveled toward the left edge of the runway, and the pilot decided to apply heavy braking. The airplane encountered soft soil and subsequently nosed over, coming to a stop inverted.
Damage and Mechanical Status
The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Contributing factors
Directional control — Not attained/maintainedStudent/instructed pilotEffect on operation