- 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.
On this page
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.
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.