- Date
- April 26, 2013, 12:40 local (16:40 UTC)
- Place
- Davis, WV
- Injuries
- 3 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N96178Cessna 172P
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 13, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20130426005739A
- Case key
- 86747
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 improper glidepath as he approached the runway and his subsequent delayed decision to abort the landing.
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
At the end of a cross-country flight, the pilot entered the traffic pattern for the 3,000-foot-long by 40-foot-wide runway at the residential airpark. The pilot stated that because he was concerned about the houses located near the runway, he approached the runway higher and faster than he normally would. As a result, the airplane touched down near the runway mid-point. When he realized that insufficient distance remained to stop the airplane, the pilot aborted the landing. During the subsequent climb, the pilot heard the stall warning sound and decreased the pitch attitude to gain airspeed. About that time, the airplane struck trees beyond the departure end of the runway and impacted the ground in a nose-down attitude, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airframe or engine what would have precluded normal operation and that his decision to abort the landing was “about 5 seconds too late.”
Factual narrative
At the conclusion of the cross-country flight, the pilot entered the traffic pattern for the 3,000-foot long by 40-foot wide runway at the residential airpark. The pilot was concerned by the houses located near the runway, so he approached higher and faster than was customary. The airplane subsequently touched down near the runway mid-point, and realizing that insufficient distance remained to stop the airplane, the pilot aborted the landing. During the climb the pilot heard the stall warning sound and decreased the pitch attitude to gain airspeed. About that time the airplane struck trees beyond the departure end of the runway and subsequently impacted the ground. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airframe or engine what would have precluded normal operation, and that his decision to abort the landing was “about 5 seconds too late.”
Aircraft
- Registration
- N96178
- Reported as
- Cessna 172P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17276033
- Airframe hours
- 8,223
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2J, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Mclean Holding Group LLC
- Registered owner
- Mclean Holding Group LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 20, 2012 · 78 hours before
- Departed
- JYO · Leesburg, VA
- Destination
- WV62 · Davis, WV
- Airport
- WV62 · Windwood Fly-In Resort Airport, runway 06, 3,000 × 40 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
- 46
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 5, 2013
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 136 total · 136 in this make and model · 38 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.43 inHg
- Observed at
- W99, 14 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 23, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.9 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.