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19990628007849A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna 172P · Gaithersburg, MD · June 28, 1999

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 28, 1999 · 10:05 local
Place
Gaithersburg, MD
Airport
Montgomery County Arpk Airport
Phase of flight
To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N62284
NTSB investigation
NTSBIAD99FA051
Reported as
Cessna 172P
Reported engine
Lycoming O320D2J
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
221 total114 in this make and model4 in the last 90 days
N62284Registration cancelled May 12, 2000 · Cessna 172PS/N 17275245Airframe modelCessna 172P

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.

Acft left wing dipped on take-off, and the acft crashed into some trees, other circumstances are unknown. (.4)the pilot flew a 30-minute flight, landed, and taxied back for another takeoff. The airplane began the takeoff roll at the maximum allowable gross weight. The pilot rotated at 50 knots, 5 knots below the manufacturer's recommended rotation speed. The airplane pitched up and rotated to the left. The pilot said he maintained full power and attempted to regain directional control. He said, 'I did not want to change the throttle; I wanted to fly the airplane out of trouble.' The airplane departed the left side of the runway and collided with trees. Examination of the airplane revealed the elevator trim was set in the full nose-up position. The pilot reported there were no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane. (-23)the pilot took off from runway 32 at Montgomery county airpark (gai). Surface winds were reported to be in the area as ranging from 200 to 210 degrees at the eight to 11 knots. After rotation and left off, the airplane drifted to the left of the runway. The left wing of the airplane hit a tr ee approximately 48 feet from the left edge of the runway and approximately 1625 feet beyond the beginning of the beinning of the runway. The airplane turned around 180 degrees before stopping about 75 beyond the tree and 1700 feet beyond the beginning of the runway. The elevator trim was found to be set nearly fully up.

As the FAA filed it

ACFT LEFT WING DIPPED ON TAKE-OFF, AND THE ACFT CRASHED INTO SOME TREES, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.4)THE PILOT FLEW A 30-MINUTE FLIGHT, LANDED, AND TAXIED BACK FOR ANOTHER TAKEOFF. THE AIRPLANE BEGAN THE TAKEOFF ROLL AT THE MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE GROSS WEIGHT. THE PILOT ROTATED AT 50 KNOTS, 5 KNOTS BELOW THE MANUFACTURER'S RECOMMENDED ROTATION SPEED. THE AIRPLANE PITCHED UP AND ROTATED TO THE LEFT. THE PILOT SAID HE MAINTAINED FULL POWER AND ATTEMPTED TO REGAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. HE SAID, 'I DID NOT WANT TO CHANGE THE THROTTLE; I WANTED TO FLY THE AIRPLANE OUT OF TROUBLE.' THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND COLLIDED WITH TREES. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THE ELEVATOR TRIM WAS SET IN THE FULL NOSE-UP POSITION. THE PILOT REPORTED THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL DEFICIENCIES WITH THE AIRPLANE. (-23)THE PILOT TOOK OFF FROM RUNWAY 32 AT MONTGOMERY COUNTY AIRPARK (GAI). SURFACE WINDS WERE REPORTED TO BE IN THE AREA AS RANGING FROM 200 TO 210 DEGREES AT THE EIGHT TO 11 KNOTS. AFTER ROTATION AND LEFT OFF, THE AIRPLANE DRIFTED TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY. THE LEFT WING OF THE AIRPLANE HIT A TR EE APPROXIMATELY 48 FEET FROM THE LEFT EDGE OF THE RUNWAY AND APPROXIMATELY 1625 FEET BEYOND THE BEGINNING OF THE BEINNING OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE TURNED AROUND 180 DEGREES BEFORE STOPPING ABOUT 75 BEYOND THE TREE AND 1700 FEET BEYOND THE BEGINNING OF THE RUNWAY. THE ELEVATOR TRIM WAS FOUND TO BE SET NEARLY FULLY UP.

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 IAD99FA051Accident · No injuriesField investigationFinal reportGaithersburg, MDwas the pilot's failure to obtain the proper rotation speed and his subsequent loss of directional control. A factor in the accident was the improper setting of the elevator trim.Jun 28, 1999 · Substantial damage