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20120428008389A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna 172D · Beckwourth, CA · April 28, 2012

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
April 28, 2012 · 12:15 local
Place
Beckwourth, CA
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Rotation
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N2559U
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR12LA189
Reported as
Cessna 172D
Reported engine
Continental 0-300 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
582 total452 in this make and model30 in the last 90 days
N2559URegistered now · Cessna 172DS/N 17250159 · Built 1963Airframe modelCessna 172DEngine modelContinental 0-300 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.

The aircraft attempted to depart a 2400' private dirt airstrip located near Beckwourth, CA. The pilot departed northbound on a heading of 010 degrees, initiated a left turn when the wing started to stall the pilot leveled the wings, regained control of the aircraft but had lost airspeed and elected to land adjacent to the airstrip after reducing power to the engine. Upon touchdown the nose wheel dug into the soft terrain causing the aircraft to flip over and came to rest inverted. The pilot had no injuries but the only passenger sustained a broken wrist. Examination of the accident scene indicated the pilot attempted to take off after utilizing approximately 1200' of the airstrip. The airstrip showed evidence the right main tire made contact 3 more times before the aircraft became airborne before impacting the terrain approximately 600' later on a heading of 317 degrees. Examination of the aircraft showed the left wing spar was severely damaged. The right wing suffered spar damage. The propeller indicated minor rotational damage with both blades being bent rearwards.

As the FAA filed it

THE AIRCRAFT ATTEMPTED TO DEPART A 2400' PRIVATE DIRT AIRSTRIP LOCATED NEAR BECKWOURTH, CA. THE PILOT DEPARTED NORTHBOUND ON A HEADING OF 010 DEGREES, INITIATED A LEFT TURN WHEN THE WING STARTED TO STALL THE PILOT LEVELED THE WINGS, REGAINED CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT BUT HAD LOST AIRSPEED AND ELECTED TO LAND ADJACENT TO THE AIRSTRIP AFTER REDUCING POWER TO THE ENGINE. UPON TOUCHDOWN THE NOSE WHEEL DUG INTO THE SOFT TERRAIN CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO FLIP OVER AND CAME TO REST INVERTED. THE PILOT HAD NO INJURIES BUT THE ONLY PASSENGER SUSTAINED A BROKEN WRIST. EXAMINATION OF THE ACCIDENT SCENE INDICATED THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO TAKE OFF AFTER UTILIZING APPROXIMATELY 1200' OF THE AIRSTRIP. THE AIRSTRIP SHOWED EVIDENCE THE RIGHT MAIN TIRE MADE CONTACT 3 MORE TIMES BEFORE THE AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE BEFORE IMPACTING THE TERRAIN APPROXIMATELY 600' LATER ON A HEADING OF 317 DEGREES. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT SHOWED THE LEFT WING SPAR WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED. THE RIGHT WING SUFFERED SPAR DAMAGE. THE PROPELLER INDICATED MINOR ROTATIONAL DAMAGE WITH BOTH BLADES BEING BENT REARWARDS.

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 WPR12LA189Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportBeckwourth, CAThe pilot’s failure to maintain sufficient airspeed during initial climb, which resulted in a loss of airplane control.Apr 28, 2012 · Substantial damage