- Date
- April 21, 2002, 09:00 local (13:00 UTC)
- Place
- Ehrhardt, SC
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2815LCessna 172H
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 26, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA
- Case key
- 54561
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 attain proper touchdown point while landing on a wet grass runway, resulting in the airplane departing the runway and impacting with trees.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot said, he entered the traffic pattern for a landing on runway 1, turned from base to final, and noted that his airspeed was 80 mph. He thought that he could still make a "safe" landing. He landed the airplane "long" on a wet grass with poor braking action. He was unable to stop, the airplane departed the end of the runway and into the woods, coming to rest between two trees.
Factual narrative
On April 21, 2002, about 0900 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172H, N2815L, registered to an individual, struck trees after landing at a private airport near Ehrhardt, South Carolina. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. No flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. The airplane was substantially damaged. The private-rated pilot, and two passengers reported no injuries. The flight had departed from Moncks Corner, South Carolina, about 0800.
The pilot said, he entered a "normal" traffic pattern for runway 1, turned from base to final, was closer to the runway than he wanted to be, and noted that his airspeed was 80 mph. He thought that he could still make a "safe" landing. According to the pilot he landed "long with wet grass and poor braking action," this caused the airplane to "slide off the end of the runway and into the woods." The airplane came to rest between two trees.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2815L
- Reported as
- Cessna 172H
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17256015
- Airframe hours
- 5,054
- Engine
- Continental O-300D, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Richard L. Clarke
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 27, 2001 · 49 hours before
- Departed
- 50J · Moncks Corner, SC
- Destination
- SC55 · Ehrhardt, SC
- Airport
- SC55 · Broxton Bridge Plantation, runway 1, 2,600 × 150 ft, grass/turf
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
- 68
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- October 12, 2001
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 648 total · 216 in this make and model · 609 as pilot in command · 17 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.88 inHg
- Observed at
- CAE, 60 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 31, 2002, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 352 KB in all.