- Date
- October 28, 2011, 15:40 local (19:40 UTC)
- Place
- Smoketown, PA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N5613RCessna 172F
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 16, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20111028024679A
- Case key
- 82204
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 did not maintain a proper approach path, which resulted in a collision with a tree.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that, while on final approach for landing, he descended the airplane too low and that the airplane's left wing contacted a tree. The airplane veered left and continued to descend before impacting the ground, resulting in substantial damage to both wings and the engine firewall. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector that, while on final approach for landing, he descended the airplane too low and the airplane's left wing contacted a tree. The airplane veered left and continued to descend before impacting the ground, resulting in substantial damage to both left and right wings and the engine firewall. The inspector's postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5613R
- Reported as
- Cessna 172F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17253225
- Airframe hours
- 2,850
- Engine
- Cont Motor 0-300 SER, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Otto John C
- Registered owner
- Otto John C
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Unknown
- Destination
- S37 · Smoketown, PA
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- S37 · Smoketown Airport, runway 10, 2,400 × 50 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
- 76
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 15, 2010
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,030 total · 1,000 in this make and model · 4 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Observed at
- LNS, 6 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 30, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 7.0 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.