# Accident 20140909017639A: Cessna 172M, Watertown, CT, September 9, 2014

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 9, 2014, 08:55 local time
- Place: Watertown, CT
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Departure Roll
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 41.6183° N, 73.0833° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.6183&lon=-73.0833&mi=10
- Aircraft: N20469, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N20469-2014-11-07) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 172M (registry code 2072418, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172m) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172M
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 960 total, 700 in this make and model, 42 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA14CA430](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA14CA430) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20140909017639A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ON OR ABOUT 0800 09/09/2014 ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TOOK OFF FROM DXR IN HIS CESSNA 172M N20469 PLANNING TO LAND AT N41. THE WEATHER WAS VFR WITH A CEILING APPROXIMATELY OF 4000'. FLYING A HEADING OF ABOUT 060 DEGREES HE VISUALLY IDENTIFIED THE AIRPORT AND PROCEEDED TO LINE UP TO LAND ON WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS RUNWAY 2. ON UNICOM, HE CONTACTED AN INSTRUCTOR AT N41 WHO WAS WAITING TO GIVE HIM SEA PLANE INSTRUCTION. THE INSTRUCTOR ADVISED HIM TO LAND ON RUNWAY 35 BUT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DECIDED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 2 BECAUSE OF WIND AND PAST EXPERIENCE. ON SHORT FINAL HE NOTICED POWER WIRES. HE COULD NOT GET ABOVE THEM. HE DECIDED TO LAND BELOW THE POWER WIRES AND TOUCHED DOWN AND LANDED THE AIRCRAFT IN A FIELD OFF OF 320 PARK RD, WATERTOWN CT WITH A LATITUDE OF N 41 DEG. 37 MIN 6 SEC. AND LONGITUDE W 73 DEG. 5 MIN. 3 SEC. HE PROCEEDED TO TAXI THE AIRCRAFT TO THE HIGH POINT IN THE NORTH WEST CORNER OF THE FIELD. HE THOUGHT THE WIND WAS OUT OF THE EAST AND IT LOOKED LIKE THERE WAS 500 TO 600 FEET OF FIELD TO TAKE OFF TO THE EAST. HE PROCEEDED TO TAKE OFF AND STATED HE LIFTED OFF AND HAD A HIGH NOSE ATTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT LEFT WING STRUCK SOME TREES SPINNING THE AIRCRAFT AROUND,  THEN ENDING UP BACKWARDS IN THE ADJACENT TREES AND SHRUBS. THE PILOT STATED HE WAS USING AN IPAD AND STRATUS GPS TO NAVIGATE. THE PILOT ALSO STATED HE SHOULD NOT HAVE TAKEN OFF FROM THE FIELD. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CONTACTED THE WATERTOWN POLICE. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS THE SOLE PERSON ON BOARD. HE SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT MARKINGS IN THE FIELD CONCURRED WITH THE PILOTS  STATEMENT. THE AIRCRAFT HAD SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE NOSE, FIREWALL, WING STRUCTURE AND AIRFRAME.  THE DISTANCE MEASURED ON GOOGLE EARTH FROM THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF THE FIELD TO THE HEADGEROW WAS 440 FEET. AIRCRAFT DETERMINED TO BE IN AIRWORTHY CONDITION. LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION COMPLETED 4/16/2014.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ERA14CA430](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA14CA430), Sep 9, 2014: Cessna 172M (N20469), Watertown, CT, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's decision to takeoff from a field which resulted in a collision with trees and the ground. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to correctly identify the destination…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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