N857CPCessna 172R · 1998

On April 3, 2022, about 1245 central daylight time, a Cessna 172, N857CP, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Sugar Land Regional Airport (KSGR), Houston, Texas. The student pilot sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight.

The student pilot reported that, while practicing touch and go landings to runway 17, she added full power for takeoff and added right rudder to correct but perceived that the rudder was “locked into place”. The student pilot applied more pressure; however, the airplane would only correct slightly to the right before it would drift left again. She applied “full weight on the right rudder” at which time the airplane drifted right and left “very dramatically.” The nose of the airplane came up and the student pilot reduced the engine power to avoid taking off. She applied brakes to stop but stated only the left brake seemed to respond. The airplane jerked to the left and came to rest on the grass.  The fuselage sustained substantial damage.

A postaccident examination of the airplane found no obvious malfunctions with the flight controls, although impact damage precluded full rudder deflection. A flight instructor pilot that witnessed the accident reported that the wind had increased past what was forecast and past the student pilot’s limit. At the time of the accident wind was from 130° at 12 kts, gusting to 18 kts; the crosswind was calculated to be 11 kts.