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19980718037649A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna 172G · Dover, DE · July 18, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 18, 1998 · 11:45 local
Place
Dover, DE
Airport
Chandelle Estates Airport
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N5907R
NTSB investigation
NTSBIAD98LA081
Reported as
Cessna 172G
Reported engine
Continental O300D
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
207 total73 in this make and model5 in the last 90 days
N5907RRegistered now · Cessna 172GS/N 17253576 · Built 1965Airframe modelCessna 172GEngine modelContinental 0-300 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) The pilot, theodore r. wallace, stated to this inspector, that he departed from orange county, Virginia airport and flew directly to Chandelle airport, Dover, Delaware. During the approach to runway 22 at Chandelle airport, it became apparent that both altitude and airspeed were to high for landing. After initial touch down, he attempted to go around adding power, but then realized he was to FAR down the runway. He then pulled power off and applied the brakes. At approximately 685 feet from the end of runway 22 the pilot directed the aircraft off the hard surface an on to the adjacent grass to the left of runway 22, attempting to slow the aircraft down. At approximately 230 feet from the end of runway 22 the pilot maneuvered the aircraft back on to the hard surface., after crossing the end of runway 22, the aircraft's left wing strut impacted into an airport advisory sign. The botched landing terminated in a four foot ditch, causing substantial damage to the aircraft. Pilot and passenger exited the aircraft without assistance, but were taken to the hospital for evaluation. The passenger, brittany wicks, (pilot's granddaughter) suffered minor lacerations to her forehead from contact with the instrument panel during incident, the pilot was uninjured. Subsequent inspection of the aircraft did not yield any system irregularities regarding brakes, flight controls or the engine that would have contributed to the incident. (.4) according to the pilot, his flight was uneventful. He overflew the airport and elected to land on runway 22 over the trees. He said the sink rate was good, the airspeed was 70 mph, and the aircraft floated almost to midfield. He tried to go around, but the airplane was not building speed quick enough, and there were trees and power lines in the vicinity of the airport. The airplane exited the 2,533 foot-long runway, and struck a ditch. The pilot said there was no mechanical malfunction with the airplane. The reported winds at the time of the accident were from 320 degrees at 8 knots.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT, THEODORE R. WALLACE, STATED TO THIS INSPECTOR, THAT HE DEPARTED FROM ORANGE COUNTY, VIRGINIA AIRPORT AND FLEW DIRECTLY TO CHANDELLE AIRPORT, DOVER, DELAWARE. DURING THE APPROACH TO RUNWAY 22 AT CHANDELLE AIRPORT, IT BECAME APPARENT THAT BOTH ALTITUDE AND AIRSPEED WERE TO HIGH FOR LANDING. AFTER INITIAL TOUCH DOWN, HE ATTEMPTED TO GO AROUND ADDING POWER, BUT THEN REALIZED HE WAS TO FAR DOWN THE RUNWAY. HE THEN PULLED POWER OFF AND APPLIED THE BRAKES. AT APPROXIMATELY 685 FEET FROM THE END OF RUNWAY 22 THE PILOT DIRECTED THE AIRCRAFT OFF THE HARD SURFACE AN ON TO THE ADJACENT GRASS TO THE LEFT OF RUNWAY 22, ATTEMPTING TO SLOW THE AIRCRAFT DOWN. AT APPROXIMATELY 230 FEET FROM THE END OF RUNWAY 22 THE PILOT MANEUVERED THE AIRCRAFT BACK ON TO THE HARD SURFACE., AFTER CROSSING THE END OF RUNWAY 22, THE AIRCRAFT'S LEFT WING STRUT IMPACTED INTO AN AIRPORT ADVISORY SIGN. THE BOTCHED LANDING TERMINATED IN A FOUR FOOT DITCH, CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. PILOT AND PASSENGER EXITED THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT ASSISTANCE, BUT WERE TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL FOR EVALUATION. THE PASSENGER, BRITTANY WICKS, (PILOT'S GRANDDAUGHTER) SUFFERED MINOR LACERATIONS TO HER FOREHEAD FROM CONTACT WITH THE INSTRUMENT PANEL DURING INCIDENT, THE PILOT WAS UNINJURED. SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT YIELD ANY SYSTEM IRREGULARITIES REGARDING BRAKES, FLIGHT CONTROLS OR THE ENGINE THAT WOULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE INCIDENT. (.4) ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HIS FLIGHT WAS UNEVENTFUL. HE OVERFLEW THE AIRPORT AND ELECTED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 22 OVER THE TREES. HE SAID THE SINK RATE WAS GOOD, THE AIRSPEED WAS 70 MPH, AND THE AIRCRAFT FLOATED ALMOST TO MIDFIELD. HE TRIED TO GO AROUND, BUT THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT BUILDING SPEED QUICK ENOUGH, AND THERE WERE TREES AND POWER LINES IN THE VICINITY OF THE AIRPORT. THE AIRPLANE EXITED THE 2,533 FOOT-LONG RUNWAY, AND STRUCK A DITCH. THE PILOT SAID THERE WAS NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION WITH THE AIRPLANE. THE REPORTED WINDS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE FROM 320 DEGREES AT 8 KNOTS.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB IAD98LA081Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportDover, DEThe pilot's failure to attain the proper touchdown point.Jul 18, 1998 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N5907R · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19911123059689ILevel Off Touchdown · Waynesboro, VAStudent made a hard landing. Aircraft bounced and landed nose wheel first.Nov 23, 1991 · Minor damage