20140318003809A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 172K · Elizabethton, TN · March 18, 2014

Date: March 18, 2014 · 19:25 local
Place: Elizabethton, TN
Airport: Elizabethton Municipal
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N46603
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA14LA158
Reported as: Cessna 172K
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 3
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 90 total13 in this make and model17 in the last 90 days

N46603Registration cancelled Jul 10, 2017 · Cessna 172KS/N 17257379 · Built 1968 Airframe modelCessna 172K 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.

Aircraft departed runway 6 and initiated climbout to a northernly heading toward the mountains. The pilot continued on this heading until a decision was made to try to turn the aircraft around because of inadequate safe altitude. The aircraft contacted the terrain during this attempted maneuver.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT DEPARTED RUNWAY 6 AND INITIATED CLIMBOUT TO A NORTHERNLY HEADING TOWARD THE MOUNTAINS. THE PILOT CONTINUED ON THIS HEADING UNTIL A DECISION WAS MADE TO TRY TO TURN THE AIRCRAFT AROUND BECAUSE OF INADEQUATE SAFE ALTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED THE TERRAIN DURING THIS ATTEMPTED MANEUVER.

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 ERA14LA158Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportElizabethton, TNThe pilot’s delayed decision to maneuver around rising terrain, which resulted in a collision with trees and terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to calculate the performance requirements needed to climb over mountainous terrain…Mar 18, 2014 · Substantial damage