20031109035589A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 172N · Philipi, WV · November 9, 2003

Date: November 9, 2003 · 15:30 local
Place: Philipi, WV
Airport: Simpson Airport
Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N738UL
NTSB investigation: NTSBNYC04CA032
Reported as: Cessna 172N
Reported engine: Lycoming O320*
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 423 total135 in this make and model6 in the last 90 days

N738ULRegistration cancelled May 7, 2013 · Cessna 172NS/N 17270247 · Built 1978 Airframe modelCessna 172N Engine modelLycoming 0-320 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 was attempting a short field take off from a 1500 foot grass strip and the aircraft collided with the trees at the end of the field that were approximately forty feet high. This caused the aircraft to pitch down and impact a larger tree which sheared off the right wing. The aircraft then came to rest vertically with the nose on the ground and the fuselage resting against a tree. The pilot and the only passenger exited the aircraft through the broken wind screen with only minor injuries.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING A SHORT FIELD TAKE OFF FROM A 1500 FOOT GRASS STRIP AND THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH THE TREES AT THE END OF THE FIELD THAT WERE APPROXIMATELY FORTY FEET HIGH. THIS CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO PITCH DOWN AND IMPACT A LARGER TREE WHICH SHEARED OFF THE RIGHT WING. THE AIRCRAFT THEN CAME TO REST VERTICALLY WITH THE NOSE ON THE GROUND AND THE FUSELAGE RESTING AGAINST A TREE. THE PILOT AND THE ONLY PASSENGER EXITED THE AIRCRAFT THROUGH THE BROKEN WIND SCREEN WITH ONLY MINOR INJURIES.

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 NYC04CA032Accident · Minor injuriesData collectionFinal reportPhilippi, WVThe pilot's improper decision to depart from a runway of insufficient length. Factors in the accident were the turf runway and tailwind condition.Nov 9, 2003 · Substantial damage