Cessna 172 accident near St. Paul, Minnesota, October 29, 2002
On October 29, 2002 at about 8:58 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N848SP, was substantially damaged in an accident near St. Paul, Minnesota (St. Paul Downtown Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot failed to maintain directional control. A factor was the runway sign.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 29, 2002 · about 8:58 pm local time
- Place
- St. Paul, Minnesota · St. Paul Downtown Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N848SP · no longer on the register · serial 172S8756
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane sustained substantial damage when it veered left off the runway during a touch and go and hit a runway sign before coming to a complete stop. The student pilot reported he was practicing touch and goes. He reported that after the fourth landing the right pedal began to stick and caused a sharp turn to the right. He reported that he could not get the pedal un-jammed so he applied left rudder. He reported he "lost control" of the airplane while using the right rudder to center the airplane. He reported that he pulled the power out and applied brakes. The airplane hit a runway sign and the airplane went into a skid. The student pilot had 28 total flight hours and one hour of pilot-in-command time. The inspection of the airplane revealed no preexisting mechanical defects.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 28 hours in all; 28 in this make and model; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 943 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,457 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Wings, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: STP St. Paul MN at 8:58 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 4,115 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,900 ft; a few clouds at 2,400 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 9:44 pm from STP
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.