20090508010289A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 172N · Roanoke, TX · May 8, 2009

Date: May 8, 2009 · 13:00 local
Place: Roanoke, TX
Airport: Northwest Regional
Phase of flight: Climb
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N172SV
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN09CA253
Reported as: Cessna 172N
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 376 total0 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days

N172SVRegistration cancelled Sep 25, 2009 · Cessna 172NS/N 17273664 Airframe modelCessna 172N

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 departed to the south from Northwest Regional Airport with a 25 to 30 knot headwind. The pilot turned downwind intending to depart the area on a northerly heading when he experienced a sudden loss of engine power. Pilot stated the engine RPM dropped to approximately 2000 RPM and then to idle as he turned the airport. With insufficient altitude and a strong headwind the pilot was unable to reach the runway and landed approximately 300 yards short of the runway. The aircraft struck several bushes damaging the leading edge of the left wing and the collapsing the nose wheel.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT DEPARTED TO THE SOUTH FROM NORTHWEST REGIONAL AIRPORT WITH A 25 TO 30 KNOT HEADWIND. THE PILOT TURNED DOWNWIND INTENDING TO DEPART THE AREA ON A NORTHERLY HEADING WHEN HE EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. PILOT STATED THE ENGINE RPM DROPPED TO APPROXIMATELY 2000 RPM AND THEN TO IDLE AS HE TURNED THE AIRPORT. WITH INSUFFICIENT ALTITUDE AND A STRONG HEADWIND THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO REACH THE RUNWAY AND LANDED APPROXIMATELY 300 YARDS SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK SEVERAL BUSHES DAMAGING THE LEADING EDGE OF THE LEFT WING AND THE COLLAPSING THE NOSE WHEEL.

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 CEN09CA253Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportRoanoke, TXThe partial loss of engine power due to a failure of the throttle control rod-end to carburetor arm hardware. A contributing factor was the pilot's decision to fly the airplane without a current annual inspection.May 8, 2009 · Substantial damage