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20180804006739A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna 172M · Dowagiac, MI · August 4, 2018

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 4, 2018 · 19:18 local
Place
Dowagiac, MI
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N8994V
NTSB investigation
NTSBGAA18CA471
Reported as
Cessna 172M
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
2
Pilot’s certificates
Private pilot, student
Pilot’s flight hours
71 total71 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days
N8994VRegistration cancelled Oct 29, 2018 · Cessna 172MS/N 17264349 · Built 1974Airframe modelCessna 172MEngine 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.

On August 4, 2018 at 7:11 pm eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172M aircraft, N8994V, registered to an association and operated by a private pilot, received substantial damage when the pilot failed to maintain required airspeed during takeoff resulting in a stall condition and loss of control at the Dowagiac municipal airport (C91), Dowagiac, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions and light winds prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot and single passenger both received minor injuries. The flight originated from the south bend international airport (sbn), south bend, Indiana at approximately 5:00 pm.

According to the pilot he landed on runway 22, a grass strip, and had back taxied to the end and initiated a ?short field takeoff?. With 10 degrees of flaps in, the pilot applied full power and back elevator until the aircraft lifted off tracking the centerline of the runway. While approximately half way down the 2176 foot runway, while still in ground effect, the left wing dipped and struck the ground subsequently causing the aircraft to cartwheel. The aircraft came to rest right side up, on a 50-degree heading with the passenger ejected out of the aircraft and setting on the right gear leg. The pilot was able to self-egress from the wreckage and assist the passenger. Within 8 minutes, local fire/rescue personnel were on site. The pilot refused treatment while the passenger was transported to a local hospital by ambulance.

Onsite investigation revealed the aircraft resting on its nose cowl with extensive damage to both wings and tail surfaces. The engine and nose gear had separated from the firewall and shifted 10 inches to the right causing extensive breaching of the left side passenger compartment, the propeller remained attached to the crankshaft. The pilot seat remained in the aircraft with all seat rollers separated from their respective seat tracks. The passenger seat was found outside the aircraft with all seat rollers and legs broken. The passenger was wearing the factory installed lap belt and shoulder harness at the time of the accident. The lap belt and shoulder harness remained latched throughout the accident sequence but, with the integrity of the seat lost, the belt length allowed the passenger to be partially ejected. It was also discovered that the accident flight was the pilots forth since receiving his private pilot certificate.

Weather was reported at 6:53 pm: wind 170 at 7 knots, visibility 10 miles clear, temp. 33 c, dew point 19 c, altimeter 30.02.

As the FAA filed it

ON AUGUST 4, 2018 AT 7:11 PM EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 172M AIRCRAFT, N8994V, REGISTERED TO AN ASSOCIATION AND OPERATED BY A PRIVATE PILOT, RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN THE PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN REQUIRED AIRSPEED DURING TAKEOFF RESULTING IN A STALL CONDITION AND LOSS OF CONTROL AT THE DOWAGIAC MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (C91), DOWAGIAC, MICHIGAN. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND LIGHT WINDS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT AND SINGLE PASSENGER BOTH RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE SOUTH BEND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (SBN), SOUTH BEND, INDIANA AT APPROXIMATELY 5:00 PM.

ACCORDING TO THE PILOT HE LANDED ON RUNWAY 22, A GRASS STRIP, AND HAD BACK TAXIED TO THE END AND INITIATED A ?SHORT FIELD TAKEOFF?. WITH 10 DEGREES OF FLAPS IN, THE PILOT APPLIED FULL POWER AND BACK ELEVATOR UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT LIFTED OFF TRACKING THE CENTERLINE OF THE RUNWAY. WHILE APPROXIMATELY HALF WAY DOWN THE 2176 FOOT RUNWAY, WHILE STILL IN GROUND EFFECT, THE LEFT WING DIPPED AND STRUCK THE GROUND SUBSEQUENTLY CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO CARTWHEEL. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST RIGHT SIDE UP, ON A 50-DEGREE HEADING WITH THE PASSENGER EJECTED OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT AND SETTING ON THE RIGHT GEAR LEG. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO SELF-EGRESS FROM THE WRECKAGE AND ASSIST THE PASSENGER. WITHIN 8 MINUTES, LOCAL FIRE/RESCUE PERSONNEL WERE ON SITE. THE PILOT REFUSED TREATMENT WHILE THE PASSENGER WAS TRANSPORTED TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL BY AMBULANCE.

ONSITE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE AIRCRAFT RESTING ON ITS NOSE COWL WITH EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO BOTH WINGS AND TAIL SURFACES. THE ENGINE AND NOSE GEAR HAD SEPARATED FROM THE FIREWALL AND SHIFTED 10 INCHES TO THE RIGHT CAUSING EXTENSIVE BREACHING OF THE LEFT SIDE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT, THE PROPELLER REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE CRANKSHAFT. THE PILOT SEAT REMAINED IN THE AIRCRAFT WITH ALL SEAT ROLLERS SEPARATED FROM THEIR RESPECTIVE SEAT TRACKS. THE PASSENGER SEAT WAS FOUND OUTSIDE THE AIRCRAFT WITH ALL SEAT ROLLERS AND LEGS BROKEN. THE PASSENGER WAS WEARING THE FACTORY INSTALLED LAP BELT AND SHOULDER HARNESS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE LAP BELT AND SHOULDER HARNESS REMAINED LATCHED THROUGHOUT THE ACCIDENT SEQUENCE BUT, WITH THE INTEGRITY OF THE SEAT LOST, THE BELT LENGTH ALLOWED THE PASSENGER TO BE PARTIALLY EJECTED. IT WAS ALSO DISCOVERED THAT THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT WAS THE PILOTS FORTH SINCE RECEIVING HIS PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE.

WEATHER WAS REPORTED AT 6:53 PM: WIND 170 AT 7 KNOTS, VISIBILITY 10 MILES CLEAR, TEMP. 33 C, DEW POINT 19 C, ALTIMETER 30.02.

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 GAA18CA471Accident · Minor injuriesData collectionFinal reportDowagiac, MIThe pilot's failure to maintain bank control during takeoff.Aug 4, 2018 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N8994V · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19980507008519ATakeoff Ground Roll · Elkhart, INMade fast turn onto runway for takeoff. Lost control wide turn caused 172 to hit chain link fences. (.19)on may 6, 1998, at 2204 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172M, N8994V, operated by a private pilot collided with two fences during takeoff at the Elkhart…May 7, 1998 · Substantial damage