Cessna 172N Skyhawk, N444WM: Accident occurred June 08, 2016 in Cornelia, Habersham County, Georgia

http://registry.faa.gov/N444WM

Docket And Docket Items - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms 

Aviation Accident Final Report  -  National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf

Aviation Accident Data Summary -   National Transportation Safety Board:  https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf

NTSB Identification: GAA16CA316
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Wednesday, June 08, 2016 in Cornelia, GA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 12/05/2016
Aircraft: CESSNA 172, registration: N444WM
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.

NTSB investigators used data provided by various entities, including, but not limited to, the Federal Aviation Administration and/or the operator and did not travel in support of this investigation to prepare this aircraft accident report.

The flight instructor reported that this was her fifth instructional flight with the student and that they were practicing takeoffs and landings in the pattern. She recalled that the previous landing accomplished by the student was "squirrelly." She reported that she reminded the student pilot "how/why not to use the pedals during the landing roll, and to stay off of the brakes." She recalled that the student completed the next approach and landing and both were stable. However, during the landing roll the airplane made an abrupt right turn, and exited the right side of the runway about the midpoint of the 5500 foot long by 100 foot wide runway. The flight instructor reported that she did not believe that she would be able to bring the airplane back to the left and aborted the landing. However, the airplane struck rising terrain, entered a 360 degree turn and struck an embankment. The flight instructor asked the student if he had his feet on the pedals during the landing roll, and he replied "I think so." The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, horizontal stabilizer and elevator. 

The flight instructor reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with any portion of the airplane during the flight that would have prevented normal flight operations.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The student pilot's unnecessary pedal application and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action resulting in a loss of directional control, runway excursion and ground impact during the aborted landing.