- Date
- September 11, 2017, 11:25 local (15:25 UTC)
- Place
- Plainville, CT
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N54463Cessna 172
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR go-around: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 23, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170911019249A
- Case key
- 95989
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 properly execute the go-around, which resulted in the airplane failing to maintain a climb, which resulted in collision with a tree.
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 pilot reported that, during touchdown, the airplane bounced, and he chose to go around. He applied full power, set the carburetor heat to cold, and began incrementally retracting the flaps. The airplane drifted left of the runway centerline toward a parking lot but was not gaining sufficient altitude. The pilot started looking for a spot to execute a forced landing when the airplane impacted a tree. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during touchdown the airplane bounced, and he chose to go-around. He applied full power, set the carburetor heat to cold, and began incrementally retracting the flaps. The airplane drifted left of the runway centerline, towards a parking lot, but was not gaining altitude. The pilot started looking for a spot to execute a forced landing when the airplane impacted a tree and collided with the ground. A postaccident exam of the airplane revealed substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N54463
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (P)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17274979
- Built
- 1981
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Interstate Aviation Inc.
- Registered owner
- Interstate Aviation Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- BAF · Westfield/Springfield, MA
- Destination
- 4B8 · Plainville, CT
- Airport
- 4B8 · Robertson Field, runway 02, 3,665 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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
- 79
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 19, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 670 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.28 inHg
- Observed at
- KHFD, 10 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 15, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.8 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.