# NTSB CEN18LA092: Cessna 172M, N1409U, Centralia, IL, February 8, 2018 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report - Date: February 8, 2018, 11:30 local (17:30 UTC) - Place: Centralia, IL - Coordinates: 38.515834, -89.091667 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.5158&lon=-89.0917&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Takeoff](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/300) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Takeoff: Aerodynamic stall/spin](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA - NTSB case key (mKey): 96717 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN18LA092 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/96717/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=96717 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN18LA092 ## Probable cause The pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack during takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172M, 123 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=2072418), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: angle of attack](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062042): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Capability exceeded (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172M, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062042/cases.md?model=2072418), [All aircraft, 990 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062042/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Takeoff: Aerodynamic stall/spin](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 172M, 16 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241/sequence.md?model=2072418), [All aircraft, 1,529 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot was conducting a takeoff for a supervised instructional flight. During the rotation, the right wing dropped. The pilot “turned the yoke to the left,” but the right wing continued to drop, which increased the bank angle. The pilot stated that he applied back pressure and said to himself, "I'm done." Subsequently, the airplane impacted the ground on the west side of the runway resulting in substantial damage to the empennage, fuselage, and both wings. A witness, who was a flight instructor, reported that he was taxiing an airplane parallel to the runway from which the accident airplane took off. He stated that the airplane had a “very short ground roll” and a “nose high attitude” on takeoff. He watched the nose of the airplane continue to pitch up, and when the airplane was between about 150 and 200 ft above ground level, the right wing dropped “quickly,” the nose pitched down, and the airplane began to spin to the right before it impacted the ground. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Examination of the airplane revealed that the empennage had separated partially from the fuselage, that both wings exhibited aft accordion crushing, and that the engine was crushed aft into the fuselage. Given the flight instructor’s description of the accident sequence and the airplane damage, the pilot likely exceeded the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin. ## Factual narrative On February 8, 2018, about 1130 central standard time, a Cessna 172M airplane, N1409U, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Centralia, Illinois. The private pilot was seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The pilot stated that, during the takeoff roll, he rotated the airplane between about 70 and 80 knots and that, during rotation, the right wing dropped. The pilot then turned the yoke left, but the right wing continued to drop, increasing the bank angle. The pilot then “started applying back pressure” and said to himself, "I'm done." Subsequently, the airplane impacted the ground on the west side of the runway. A witness, who was a flight instructor, was taxiing an airplane parallel to the runway from which the accident airplane took off. He stated that the airplane had a “very short ground roll” and a “nose high attitude” on takeoff. The nose continued to pitch up, and when the airplane was between about 150 and 200 ft above ground level, the right wing dropped “quickly,” the nose pitched down, and the airplane began to spin right before it impacted the ground. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failure with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Examination of the airplane revealed that the empennage had separated partially from the fuselage, that both wings exhibited aft accordion crush signatures, and that the engine was crushed aft into the fuselage. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N1409U](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N1409U-2018-06-06), registration cancelled 2018-06-06, S/N 17267078, built 1976 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 172M (M) - Registry model: [Cessna 172M](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172m) (registry code 2072418) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (registry code 41508, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 17267078 - Year built: 1976 - Airframe hours: 8500.3 - Engines: LYCOMING O-320-E2D 160 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Operator: Airgo Inc - Registered owner: Airgo Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, February 7, 2018 - Airport: ENL, Centralia Muni, runway 18, 5,001 × 75 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 21; injuries: serious; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; last flight review January 14, 2018; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 87 total, 87 in this make and model, 18 as pilot in command, 27 in the last 90 days, 7 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 190° at 8 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 36 °F, dew point 23 °F - Altimeter: 30.47 inHg ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20180208002159A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180208002159A), Feb 8, 2018: Cessna 172M, Centralia, IL, Destroyed. PIC was performing a return to service flight/ferry flight to return the aircraft to a satellite location. On departure the aircraft became airborne after an… ## Docket (3 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 19, 2021, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=96717. 1.3 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 10 pages, 1.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11549632&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=CEN18LA092%206120%20completed_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Witness statement (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 129 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11549432&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Witness%20Instructor%20Pilot%20Statement_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Photograph of accident site (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 104 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11550221&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=CEN18LA092%20Photos%20for%20Docket-Rel.pdf From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.