20180912013449A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 172S · Roche Harbor, WA · September 12, 2018

Date: September 12, 2018 · 08:10 local
Place: Roche Harbor, WA
Airport: Roche Harbor
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Departure Roll
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator: IQJA
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N24ME
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR18LA259
Reported as: Cessna 172S
Reported engine: Lycoming IO-540 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificates: Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 5,426 total800 in this make and model201 in the last 90 days

N24MERegistration cancelled Nov 8, 2019 · Cessna 172SS/N 172S8463 · Built 2000 Airframe modelCessna 172S Engine modelLycoming IO-540 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 pilot seat rail adjustment was not in the lock position. On departure roll, the pilot seat slid all the way back to the most aft limit keeping the pilot from reaching the throttle and the rudder pedals. The aircraft lifted off before rotation speed, rolled to the left, ended up hitting the ground and caused substantial damage to the aircraft.

The pilot was the only occupant in the aircraft and suffered minor injuries.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT SEAT RAIL ADJUSTMENT WAS NOT IN THE LOCK POSITION. ON DEPARTURE ROLL, THE PILOT SEAT SLID ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE MOST AFT LIMIT KEEPING THE PILOT FROM REACHING THE THROTTLE AND THE RUDDER PEDALS. THE AIRCRAFT LIFTED OFF BEFORE ROTATION SPEED, ROLLED TO THE LEFT, ENDED UP HITTING THE GROUND AND CAUSED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT.

THE PILOT WAS THE ONLY OCCUPANT IN THE AIRCRAFT AND SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES.

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 WPR18LA259Accident · No injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportRoche Harbor, WAThe pilot’s failure to secure his seat position prior to takeoff, which resulted in a loss of airplane control and subsequent hard landing.Sep 12, 2018 · Substantial damage