- Date
- May 8, 2018, 16:25 local (20:25 UTC)
- Place
- Batavia, OH
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N377ESCessna 172
- Defining event
- Takeoff-rejected takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 24, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180508004939A
- Case key
- 97244
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 decision to take off with the airplane over its maximum gross weight due to his failure to perform preflight weight and balance calculations, which affected the airplane’s takeoff performance, and his subsequent decision to abort the takeoff with too little runway remaining, which resulted in a runway excursion.
Findings · 5
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, before the flight, he performed weight and balance and performance calculations with the initial fuel level in the airplane. The fuel tanks were then filled full of fuel, but he did not amend the weight and balance or performance calculations. The pilot reported that, during takeoff, after the airplane became airborne, he did not feel comfortable with the way the airplane was performing, so he reduced power and landed the airplane on the remaining runway. He added that he did not have enough runway to stop and attempted to exit on a taxiway but "understeered," and the airplane exited the runway into a ditch. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The airplane's maximum gross weight was 2,460 lbs, and the weight at the time of the accident was 2,600 lbs, which was about 140 lbs over the maximum gross weight and likely affected the airplane's takeoff performance. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, before the flight, he performed weight and balance and performance calculations with the initial fuel level in the airplane. The airplane fuel tanks were then filled full of fuel, but he did not amend the weight and balance or performance calculations. The pilot reported that, during takeoff, after the airplane became airborne, he did not feel comfortable with the way the airplane was performing, so he reduced power and landed the airplane on the remaining runway. He added that, he did not have enough runway to stop and attempted to exit on a taxiway, but "understeered" and the airplane exited the runway into a ditch. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported on the National Transportation Safety Board 6120.1 Form that the airplane's maximum gross weight was 2,460 pounds and that the weight at the time of the accident was 2,600 pounds, about 140 pounds over the maximum gross weight. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N377ES
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (R)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17280086
- Built
- 1997
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-B1E, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- I69 · Batavia, OH
- Destination
- I69 · Batavia, OH
- Airport
- I69 · Clermont County, runway 22, 3,566 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B, 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
- 18
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 26, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 286 total · 105 in this make and model · 130 as pilot in command · 125 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.11 inHg
- Observed at
- KLUK, 10 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 31, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.8 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.