- Date
- December 9, 2001, 11:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Reedsburg, WI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N4303QCessna 172L
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 26, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20011209036909A
- Case key
- 53916
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 inadvertently released the seat adjustment mechanism which resulted in the seat sliding back during takeoff, and his subsequent failure to maintain control of the airplane. A factor associated with the accident was the runway light control box, which the airplane contacted.
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 airplane collided with a runway end identifier light control box following a loss of control on takeoff. The pilot reported that his seat slid back on takeoff and because the nose of the airplane was high, his forward visibility was limited. The pilot reported he felt a couple of "bumps". He then was able to slide the seat forward and abort the takeoff. The pilot reported that he taxied back to the runway and departed for Kenosha. He reported the airplane seemed to lack power during the flight. The pilot reported that he was trying to attach a hand held GPS unit to his leg with a cable when the seat slid back. He reported that the cable most likely became attached to the seat adjustment lever and this resulted in the lever being moved, and the seat sliding back. Damage to the airplane included buckling and puncture damage to the lower fuselage, engine cowling, and left horizontal stabilizer, firewall damage, the tip of one propeller was missing and the other propeller tip was damaged, and a section of the exhaust system was crushed.
Factual narrative
On December 9, 2001, at 1100 central standard time, a Cessna 172L, N4303Q, operated by a private pilot, collided with a runway end identifier light control box following a loss of control on takeoff. The takeoff was being made on runway 18 (4,840 feet by 75 feet, asphalt) at the Reedsburg Municipal Airport, Reedsburg, Wisconsin. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed.
The pilot reported that his seat slid back on takeoff and because the nose of the airplane was high, his forward visibility was limited. The pilot reported he felt a couple of "bumps". He then was able to slide the seat forward and abort the takeoff. The pilot reported that he taxied back to the runway and departed for Kenosha. He reported the airplane seemed to lack power during the flight. He was unaware of the damage to the airplane until he landed.
The pilot reported that he was trying to attach a hand held GPS unit to his leg with a cable when the seat slid back. He reported that the cable most likely became attached to the seat adjustment lever and this resulted in the lever being moved, and the seat sliding back.
Damage to the airplane included buckling and puncture damage to the lower fuselage, engine cowling, and left horizontal stabilizer, firewall damage, the tip of one propeller was missing and the other propeller tip was damaged, and a section of the exhaust system was crushed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4303Q
- Reported as
- Cessna 172L
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1720203
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Burton H. Kleinman
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- C35 · Reedsburg, WI
- Destination
- Unknown
- Airport
- C35 · Reedsburg Municipal, runway 18, 4,840 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- 78
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- September 7, 2001
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 355 total · 355 in this make and model · 19 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.21 inHg
- Observed at
- LNR, 25 nm away
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 26, 2002, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 MB in all.
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 N4303Q · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.