- Date
- January 28, 2012, 10:45 local (15:45 UTC)
- Place
- Grand Isle, VT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N811PCessna 172L
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Runway excursion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 28, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120128001669A
- Case key
- 82758
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's inability to stop the airplane on a grass runway with undetected ice.
Findings · 1
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 stated that before departing for a private airport, he called the owner of the airport to inquire about the condition of the turf runway. The owner reported that the runway appeared to be "okay." Upon reaching the destination airport, the pilot conducted two approaches to the runway that were "steeper and faster" than he desired, and he aborted both landing attempts. On the third approach, the airplane touched down about 500 feet from the runway threshold. After touchdown, the pilot realized that he had little braking effectiveness and was unable to stop the airplane. The airplane traveled off the departure end of the runway and impacted trees, resulting in substantial damage to both the left and right wings. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of any mechanical malfunctions or failures. The pilot and a Federal Aviation Administration inspector reported that, although the grass on the runway appeared normal from the air, there was a layer of ice underneath due to rain and below-freezing temperatures for several days prior to the accident, resulting in slick runway conditions.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that prior to departing to a private airport, he called the owner of the airport to inquire about the condition of the turf runway. The owner reported that the runway appeared to be "okay." Upon reaching the destination airport, the pilot conducted two approaches to the runway that were "steeper and faster" than he desired, and he aborted both landing attempts. On the third approach, the airplane touched down approximately 500 feet from the runway threshold. After touchdown, the pilot realized that he had little braking effectiveness, and was unable to stop the airplane. The airplane traveled off the departure end of the runway, and impacted trees, resulting in substantial damage to both left and right wings. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of any mechanical malfunctions or failures. The pilot and a Federal Aviation Administration inspector reported that, although the grass on the runway appeared normal from the air, there was a layer of ice underneath due to rain and below-freezing temperatures for several days prior to the accident, resulting in slick runway conditions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N811P
- Reported as
- Cessna 172L
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17260298
- Airframe hours
- 10,270
- Engine
- Lycoming 0-320 SERIES, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Champlain Island Hoppers Inc
- Registered owner
- Champlain Island Hoppers Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 13, 2011
- Departed
- BTV · Burlington, VT
- Destination
- 29VT · Grand Isle, VT
- Airport
- NA · Middle Hero, runway 01, 2,000 × 150 ft, grass/turf
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
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight engineer, Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 17, 2011
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 8,800 total · 300 in this make and model · 3,500 as pilot in command · 147 in the last 90 days · 48 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 37 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.90 inHg
- Observed at
- PBG, 11 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 22, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.7 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 N811P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.