# Accident 19980718037649A: Cessna 172G, Dover, DE, July 18, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 18, 1998, 11:45 local time
- Place: Dover, DE
- Airport: Chandelle Estates Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 39.0906° N, 75.7192° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.0906&lon=-75.7192&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5907R, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N5907R) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 172G (registry code 2072420, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172g) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental 0-300 series (registry code 17022, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-0-300-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172G
- Reported engine: CONT O300D
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 207 total, 73 in this make and model, 5 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB IAD98LA081](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD98LA081) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980718037649A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-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.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB IAD98LA081](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD98LA081), Jul 18, 1998: Cessna 172G (N5907R), Dover, DE, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to attain the proper touchdown point.

## Other reports on N5907R (1)

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

- [Incident 19911123059689I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19911123059689I), Nov 23, 1991: Cessna 172G (N5907R), Waynesboro, VA, Minor damage. Student made a hard landing. Aircraft bounced and landed nose wheel first.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.