ATL05CA088

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 172 · Raleigh, NC · May 27, 2005

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
May 26, 2005, 22:05 local (May 27, 2005, 02:05 UTC)
Place
Raleigh, NC
Injuries
2 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Enroute
Aircraft
N496ACCessna 172
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
Status
Completed · report September 13, 2005
Report
Approved by Office Director
Parties
Greensboro FSDO
FAA report
20050526010429A
Case key
61581

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate obstacle clearance during initial climb, which resulted in an in-flight collision with trees

Sequence of events

NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.

Loss of control - in flightClimb
Airspeed - not maintainedPilot in commandCause
Stall - inadvertentPilot in command
In flight collision with objectDescent - uncontrolled
Object - tree(s)

Analysis

According to the pilot, after returning from a cross-country flight they were conducting a night landing on runway 32. After landing on the runway, the airplane bounced and the pilot added full power, and started a right climbing turn. After seeing another airplane on short final approach to runway 23L, the pilot elected to continue the right climbing turn. At this point the pilot noticed that the airspeed had dropped to 40 knots. The airplane collided with trees.. The post-accident examination of the airplane revealed the nose of the airplane was crushed and displaced aft towards the firewall. The right wing assembly displayed leading edge crush damage, and separated at the wing root. The left wing assembly was buckled and displaced aft. The vertical and horizontal stabilizers were buckled and twisted. The empennage was buckled, and no flight control anomalies with the airplane were reported by the pilot prior to the accident.

Factual narrative

On May 26, 2005, at 2205 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172, N496AC, registered to and operator by Flightgest Incorporated, collided with trees during climb out at Raleigh Durham International Airport, Raleigh, North Carolina. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The private pilot and passenger were uninjured, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight fight departed Raleigh Durham International Airport, Raleigh, North Carolina on May 26, 2005 at 1900.

According to the pilot, after returning from a cross-country flight they were conducting a night landing on runway 32. After landing on the runway the airplane bounced continuously down the runway. The pilot added full power, climbed out and made a 90-degree climbing right turn to avoid runway 23L. Another 90-degree right turn was initiated when the pilot observed an airplane on short final for runway 23L. As the airplane climbed out the airspeed dropped to 40 Knots. The pilot lowered the nose in an attempt to regain airspeed. After lowering the nose the pilot observed trees ahead of the airplane and attempted to climb above the trees but was unable to do so. The pilot stated "the airplane collided with trees."

Post accident examination of the airplane revealed the nose of the airplane was crushed and displaced aft towards the firewall. The right wing assembly displayed leading edge crush damage, and separated at the wing root. The left wing assembly was buckled and displaced aft. The vertical and horizontal stabilizers were buckled and twisted. The empennage was buckled. No flight control anomalies were reported by the pilot prior to the accident.

Aircraft

Registration
N496AC
Reported as
Cessna 172
Category
Airplane
Serial number
17281006
Airframe hours
2,272.8
Engine
Lycoming I0-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Registered owner
Flightgest Incorporated
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · May 1, 2005 · 40 hours before
Departed
RDU · Raleigh, NC
Destination
RDU · Raleigh/Durham, NC
Airport
RDU · Raleigh-Durham International, runway 32, 3,570 × 100 ft

Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Pilot
Age
55
Injuries
None
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 3, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
August 1, 2004
Seat
Left
Flight hours
147 total · 147 in this make and model · 59 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
Wind
320° at 3 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
7,500 ft broken
Temperature
63 °F, dew point 48 °F
Altimeter
29.85 inHg
Observed at
RDU

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.

Other investigations on N496AC · 1

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