# NTSB CHI01LA144: Cessna 152, N45943, Roscommon, MI, May 20, 2001 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: May 20, 2001, 12:10 local (16:10 UTC) - Place: Roscommon, MI - Coordinates: 44.489742, -84.579872 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.4897&lon=-84.5799&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Takeoff](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/300) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report October 9, 2001 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA - Grand Rapids FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 52426 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI01LA144 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/52426/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI01LA144 ## Probable cause The failure of the pilot to maintain clearance from the tree line. Factors to the accident were the tailwind, the aircraft being near gross weight, the high density altitude, the rough runway condition, and the tree line. An additional factor to the accident was the failure of the pilot to calculate takeoff performance data prior to the takeoff. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Overrun, takeoff - aborted - aircraft weight and balance - high (contributing factor) - weather condition - tailwind (contributing factor) - performance data - not calculated, pilot in command (contributing factor) - weather condition - high density altitude (contributing factor) - airport facilities,runway/landing area condition - rough/uneven (contributing factor) - On ground/water collision with object, landing - roll - object - tree(s) (contributing factor) - clearance - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) ## Analysis The pilot was demonstrating a short-field takeoff to his passenger at the time of the accident. The pilot stated that the aircraft did not accelerate normally after rotation and at 50-feet above ground level it became obvious that the aircraft would not clear a tree line off the end of the runway. The pilot elected to land the airplane on the remaining runway, was unable to stop the aircraft prior to the tree line, and collided with the trees. The pilot reported, "The takeoff roll was longer than normal (maybe 200 ft.) which I attributed to our heavy loading (approx. 25 lbs. under max. gross), the rough surface, and perhaps some to the 2220ft. density altitude HTL [Roscommon County Airport] AWOS [Automated Weather Observing System] was reporting." The pilot stated, "I went to Vx [best angle-of-climb airspeed] but we were covering a lot of ground and making very little altitude. I checked the tach which showed 2350-2400 rpm which should have been enough to climb. At about 50ft. agl [above ground level] with 70ft. trees ahead, It became obvious we would not clear them. I did not want to go into the trees airborne, I decided to risk the airplane rather than risk serious injury or worse." The pilot reported, "I closed the throttle and lowered the nose steeply - - flairing [flaring] at the last second, contacting the ground 130ft. from the tree line. The pilot stated, "...consulted the aircraft P.O.H [pilot operating handbook] on down-wind take-off performance. Reconstructing the conditions of our situation that day, and figuring an 8kt. tail-wind, the numbers on the performance chart mirrored the performance we experienced." The pilot reported, "I am certain that we experienced a drastic unexpected wind shift which gave us a tail-wind component." ## Factual narrative On May 20, 2001, at 1210 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 152, N45943, piloted by a commercial pilot, sustained substantial damage during an on-ground collision with trees following an aborted takeoff from runway 18 ( 2,475 feet by 100 feet, dry/grass ) at the Roscommon Conservation Airport, Roscommon, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 and was not on a flight plan. The pilot and his passenger reported no injuries. The local flight was departing at the time of the accident. According to the pilot's written statement, he was demonstrating a short field takeoff technique to his pilot-rated passenger at the time of the accident. The pilot reported, "The takeoff roll was longer than normal (maybe 200 ft.) which I attributed to our heavy loading (approx. 25 lbs. under max. gross), the rough surface, and perhaps some to the 2220ft. density altitude HTL [Roscommon County Airport] AWOS [Automated Weather Observing System] was reporting." The pilot stated, "We lifted off prior to reaching the intersection of runway 9/27 which I have always used as my go/no go point. After lift-off I checked the airspeed to get the desired obstacle clearance airspeed (54kts.) I immediately sense a lack of acceleration and climb performance so I held lift-off attitude. Still not getting any acceleration, I lowered the nose slightly. The stall warner [stall horn] stopped beeping and we settled from about 30ft. to about 20ft. Suspecting we had encountered a wind lull as we had on our previous take-off, I thought we would start climbing normally any second." The pilot reported, "I went to Vx [best angle-of-climb airspeed] but we were covering a lot of ground and making very little altitude. I checked the tach which showed 2350-2400 rpm which should have been enough to climb. At about 50ft. agl [above ground level] with 70ft. trees ahead, It became obvious we would not clear them. I did not want to go into the trees airborne, I decided to risk the airplane rather than risk serious injury or worse." The pilot stated, "I closed the throttle and lowered the nose steeply - - flairing [flaring] at the last second, contacting the ground 130ft. from the tree line. I was unable to stop short of contacting the trees." The pilot reported, "...consulted the aircraft P.O.H [pilot operating handbook] on down-wind take-off performance. Reconstructing the conditions of our situation that day, and figuring an 8kt. tail-wind, the numbers on the performance chart mirrored the performance we experienced." The pilot stated, "I am certain that we experienced a drastic unexpected wind shift which gave us a tail-wind component." ## Aircraft - Registration: [N45943](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N45943-2002-03-13), registration cancelled 2002-03-13, S/N 15282953, built 1978 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 152 - Registry model: [Cessna 152](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-152) (registry code 2071835) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-235 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-235-series) (registry code 41505, 4 cycle) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 15282953 - Airframe hours: 5998.3 - Engines: Lycoming O-235-L2C 110 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, August 11, 2000, 10.4 hours before - Departed: 3RC, ROSCOMMON, MI - Destination: 3RC, ROSCOMMON, MI - Airport: 3RC, Roscommon Conservation, runway 18, 2,475 × 100 ft, grass/turf ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 66; injuries: none; flight engineer, commercial, military; airplane ratings: single-engine sea, single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane, helicopter; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review August 21, 1999; seat: left; flight hours: 17,821 total, 4 in this make and model, 17,012 as pilot in command, 9 in the last 90 days, 5 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 140° at 6 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 72 °F, dew point 45 °F - Altimeter: 29.92 inHg - Observed at: HTL, 8 nm away ## 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 20010520010789A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010520010789A), May 20, 2001: Cessna 152, Roscommon, MI, No damage. (.19)On may 20, 2001, at 1215 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 152, N45943, piloted by a commercial pilot, sustained substantial damage during an on-ground… 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.