- Date
- August 3, 2012, 12:20 local (16:20 UTC)
- Place
- Culpeper, VA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6276ZCessna 172S
- Defining event
- Landing: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 5, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120803020779A
- Case key
- 84587
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 failure to maintain directional control during an attempted takeoff.
Findings · 3
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
According to the pilot, the airplane touched down about halfway down the runway. The pilot’s intent was to perform a touch-and-go practice landing and takeoff. He applied takeoff power, retracted the flaps, and the airplane veered to the left. The pilot reported that he was unable to maintain directional control with aileron and rudder control inputs and elected to abort the takeoff. After he reduced power to idle, the airplane departed the left side of the runway and continued approximately 100 yards before impacting a row of trees. A witness report corroborates the pilot’s landing description. A postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the fuselage and left wing. In a phone interview the accident the pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that precluded normal operation of the airplane.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, the airplane touched down about halfway down the runway. The pilot’s intent was to perform a touch-and-go practice landing and takeoff. He applied takeoff power, retracted the flaps, and the airplane veered to the left. The pilot reported that he was unable to maintain directional control with aileron and rudder control inputs and elected to abort the takeoff. After he reduced power to idle the airplane departed the left side of the runway and continued approximately 100 yards before impacting a row of trees. A witness report corroborates the pilot’s landing description. A postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the fuselage and left wing. The examination did not reveal any mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. In a phone interview the accident the pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6276Z
- Reported as
- Cessna 172S
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S10745
- Airframe hours
- 1,747
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Aviation Adventures, LLC
- Registered owner
- Heavenly Body III Aviation Enterprises LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 19, 2012 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- HWY · Warrenton, VA
- Destination
- CJR · Culpepper, VA
- Airport
- CJR · Culpeper Regional Airport, runway 22, 5,000 × 100 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
- 30
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 2, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 80 total · 76 in this make and model · 41 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- CJR
Docket · 8
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 7, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 7.4 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.