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20051108026669A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna 172L · Beltzville, PA · November 8, 2005

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
November 8, 2005 · 14:15 local
Place
Beltzville, PA
Phase of flight
Forced/Precautionary Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N7684G
NTSB investigation
NTSBNYC06LA028
Reported as
Cessna 172L
Reported engine
Lycoming O320*
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
17,000 total3,000 in this make and model4 in the last 90 days
N7684GRegistration cancelled Apr 6, 2006 · Cessna 172LS/N 17259384 · Built 1970Airframe modelCessna 172LEngine 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 airman stated he was departing the grass runway 26 at Beltzville, PA. Just after takeoff at approximately 150 feet the engine began to sputter, and eventually quit all together. The pilot initiated an immediate right turn, and set the aircraft down in a small field approximately 175 feet in length just north of the departure end of the runway. The aircraft touched down on the nose landing gear, and the left wing impacted a tree severing approximately 8 feet of the wing. Subsequently, the aircraft went up on it's nose and right wing, almost severing the right wing. The propeller which was stopped at the time of impact was damaged, and the horizontal stabilizer was severely damaged from portions of the left wing and that was ripped off during impact with the tree. The aircraft came to rest on it's nose perpendicularly, with the tail section resting on a tree near a home. The weather was clear VMC and dry, there were no reported injuries. The airman stated had it not been for his shoulder harness he would have sustained injuries.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE AIRMAN STATED HE WAS DEPARTING THE GRASS RUNWAY 26 AT BELTZVILLE, PA. JUST AFTER TAKEOFF AT APPROXIMATELY 150 FEET THE ENGINE BEGAN TO SPUTTER, AND EVENTUALLY QUIT ALL TOGETHER. THE PILOT INITIATED AN IMMEDIATE RIGHT TURN, AND SET THE AIRCRAFT DOWN IN A SMALL FIELD APPROXIMATELY 175 FEET IN LENGTH JUST NORTH OF THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON THE NOSE LANDING GEAR, AND THE LEFT WING IMPACTED A TREE SEVERING APPROXIMATELY 8 FEET OF THE WING. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRCRAFT WENT UP ON IT'S NOSE AND RIGHT WING, ALMOST SEVERING THE RIGHT WING. THE PROPELLER WHICH WAS STOPPED AT THE TIME OF IMPACT WAS DAMAGED, AND THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED FROM PORTIONS OF THE LEFT WING AND THAT WAS RIPPED OFF DURING IMPACT WITH THE TREE. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON IT'S NOSE PERPENDICULARLY, WITH THE TAIL SECTION RESTING ON A TREE NEAR A HOME. THE WEATHER WAS CLEAR VMC AND DRY, THERE WERE NO REPORTED INJURIES. THE AIRMAN STATED HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR HIS SHOULDER HARNESS HE WOULD HAVE SUSTAINED 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 NYC06LA028Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportLehighton, PAThe pilot's inadequate preflight inspection, which resulted in a total loss of engine power during takeoff due to fuel contamination, and a subsequent forced landing to a field.Nov 8, 2005 · Substantial damage