- Date
- May 20, 2017, 10:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Prospect, OR
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N175DHCessna 175
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 23, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170520004769A
- Case key
- 95229
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 flight instructor’s failure to attain an adequate climb rate during takeoff, which resulted in impact with trees.
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
The flight instructor reported that, during a demonstrated soft-field takeoff, the right lift strut impacted the tops of three trees. The flight instructor continued to his destination without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the elevator. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor reported that, during a demonstrated soft field takeoff, the right lift strut impacted the tops of three trees. The flight instructor continued to his destination with no other anomiles. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the elevator. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N175DH
- Reported as
- Cessna 175 (UNDESIGNAT)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 56280
- Built
- 1960
- Airframe hours
- 2,953.6
- Engine
- Cont Motor GO-300D, 175 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 28, 2016
- Departed
- 64S · Prospect, OR
- Destination
- MFR · Medford, OR
- Airport
- 64S · Prospect State, runway 2, 4,000 × 50 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Handheld GPS
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
- 73
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 15, 2015
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,152 total · 324 in this make and model · 1,114 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.13 inHg
- Observed at
- KMFR, 28 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 5, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 780 KB 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.