- Date
- July 30, 2019, 10:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Placerville, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N177CWCessna 177
- Defining event
- Landing: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 2, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190730024309A
- Case key
- 99973
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 exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack during a go-around, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and impact with terrain.
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
The pilot reported that, while landing, the airplane bounced, and he chose to go around. He stated that he did not recall the airspeed after he applied full power and retracted the flaps to 10° during the initial climb. Subsequently, the airplane aerodynamically stalled and impacted terrain. A witness at the airport reported that the airplane was operating under full power at a high angle of attack. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, both wings, and the empennage. 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, while landing, the airplane bounced, and he elected to go-around. After applying full power and retracting the flap to 10° during the initial climb, he did not recall the airspeed. Subsequently, the airplane aerodynamically stalled and impacted terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, both wings and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. A witness at the airport, reported that, "his angle of attack was so high, there was no way it was going to fly. It was full power and looked like full aft yoke." The airport's automated weather observation station reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 240° at 4 knots. The pilot was landing the airplane on runway 23.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N177CW
- Reported as
- Cessna 177 (Undesignat)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17700855
- Engine
- reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Departed
- PVF · Placerville, CA
- Destination
- PVF · Placerville, CA
- Airport
- PVF · Placerville, runway 23, 3,910 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- None
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
- 71
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Private, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 13, 2019
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 2,852 total · 0.5 in this make and model · 1,476 as pilot in command · 6.9 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- KPVF
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 26, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.0 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.