- Date
- September 13, 1991, 09:15 local (13:15 UTC)
- Place
- Summerton, SC
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N4184LCessna 172G
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 10, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910913039959A
- Case key
- 8470
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 inadequate compensation for the wind conditions at the airstrip. Factors in the accident were the quartering tailwind and the wet field conditions at the airstrip.
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
The pilot reported that during the takeoff roll, the airplane began veering to the left just prior to liftoff. To avoid running off the edge of the runway, he rotated early. The airplane was then near stall speed, heading towards a tree. He applied full flight control inputs to avoid the tree, and the airplane stalled. The airplane impacted the ground in a nose low attitude. The pilot reported that the runway was wet from dew, and that a quartering right tailwind 'was not given proper attention.'
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4184L
- Reported as
- Cessna 172G
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17254253
- Engine
- Continental O-300-D, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Lafosse, David A.
- Registered owner
- Lafosse, David A.
- Airport
- NONE · Davis Crossroads, runway 3, 3,000 × 90 ft, grass/turf
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
- 51
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 2,750 total · 1,000 in this make and model · 2,614 as pilot in command · 42 in the last 90 days · 16 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.