CHI05CA075

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 172K · Portage, WI · February 26, 2005

Accident · Serious injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
February 26, 2005, 16:20 local (22:20 UTC)
Place
Portage, WI
Injuries
1 serious, 1 minor
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N7325GCessna 172K
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report June 8, 2005
Report
Approved by Office Director
Parties
Federal Aviation Administration - Milwaukee FSDO
FAA report
20050226004509A
Case key
61191

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the aborted landing, which resulted in an inadvertent stall at a low altitude. Factors to the accident were the pilot's lack of experience flying from the right pilot station and his failure to maintain directional control during landing rollout.

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.

Loss of control - on ground/waterLanding - roll
Lack of experiencePilot in commandFactor
Directional control - not maintainedPilot in commandFactor
Loss of control - in flightLanding - aborted
Airspeed - not maintainedPilot in commandCause
Stall - inadvertentPilot in commandCause
Altitude - lowCause
In flight collision with terrain/waterDescent - uncontrolled

Analysis

The airplane stalled and impacted the runway during an aborted landing. The pilot reported that the accident flight was with a prospective new flying club member. The pilot stated that the club required new members complete a check-out flight with a current member. The prospective new member (passenger) held a student pilot certificate and had flown solo prior to the accident flight. The pilot held a private pilot certificate and had accumulated 73 hours as pilot-in-command (PIC). The pilot was not a flight instructor and was acting as PIC for the entire flight. The pilot was seated at the right pilot station and the passenger was seated at the left pilot station. The pilot reported that he had "never piloted from the right position before." The pilot reported that the passenger flew three landing approaches and each attempt terminated in a go-around maneuver. After the third landing attempt, the passenger asked the pilot to "demonstrate a landing." The pilot stated that he assumed aircraft control during the downwind leg for runway 17. He reported his final approach was flown with full flaps and an uneventful touchdown was made on the runway. He stated that during rollout the airplane "started to veer toward the right" and that he "incorrectly applied the right rudder instead of left." The pilot decided to perform an aborted landing in order to "demonstrate a better landing." The pilot reported he applied full engine power and "lifted the flaps briefly (but not fully)." He stated that he thought the flaps were "up more" and that he became "flustered" as the airplane "pitched up." He reported that the airplane "stalled" about 30-50 feet above the ground, and that he was "able to pull the nose up so that we landed hard on the [landing] gear."

Factual narrative

On February 26, 2005, at 1620 central standard time, a Cessna 172K, N7325G, piloted by a private pilot, was substantially damaged during an in-flight collision with the terrain during an aborted landing from runway 17 (3,775 feet by 60 feet, dry asphalt) at the Portage Municipal Airport (C47), Portage, Wisconsin. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot reported serious injuries and the passenger reported minor injuries. The local flight departed C47 at an unconfirmed time.

The pilot reported that the accident flight was with a prospective new flying club member. The pilot stated that the club required new members complete a check-out flight with a current member. The prospective new member (passenger) held a student pilot certificate and had flown solo prior to the accident flight. The pilot held a private pilot certificate and had accumulated 73 hours as pilot-in-command (PIC). The pilot was not a flight instructor and was acting as PIC for the entire flight. The pilot was seated at the right pilot station and the passenger was seated at the left pilot station. The pilot reported that he had "never piloted from the right position before."

The pilot reported that the passenger flew three landing approaches and each attempt terminated in a go-around maneuver. After the third landing attempt, the passenger asked the pilot to "demonstrate a landing." The pilot stated that he assumed aircraft control during the downwind leg for runway 17. He reported his final approach was flown with full flaps and an uneventful touchdown was made on the runway. He stated that during rollout the airplane "started to veer toward the right" and that he "incorrectly applied the right rudder instead of left." The pilot decided to perform an aborted landing in order to "demonstrate a better landing." The pilot reported he applied full engine power and "lifted the flaps briefly (but not fully)." He stated that he thought the flaps were "up more" and that he became "flustered" as the airplane "pitched up." He reported that the airplane "stalled" about 30-50 feet above the ground, and that he was "able to pull the nose up so that we landed hard on the [landing] gear."

Aircraft

Registration
N7325G
Reported as
Cessna 172K
Category
Airplane
Serial number
17259025
Engine
Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Registered owner
Pal Day Aeroclub, Inc.
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
Departed
C47 · Portage, WI
Destination
C47 · Portage, WI
Airport
C47 · Portage Municipal Airport, runway 17, 3,775 × 60 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
51
Injuries
Serious
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
Last flight review
March 22, 2003
Seat
Right
Flight hours
142 total · 119 in this make and model · 73 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
120° at 8 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
32 °F, dew point 19 °F
Altimeter
30.28 inHg
Observed at
DLL, 13 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.