- Date
- March 31, 1997, 10:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- St Matthews, SC
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N738NCCessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 25, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970331010779A
- Case key
- 38235
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 improper decision to take off downwind with gusty wind conditions.
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 certified flight instructor (CFI) was instructing a non-current pilot in soft field takeoff procedures. According to the CFI, they took off from runway 14, the downwind runway, because runway 32 was upslope, and the trees adjacent to the runway gave protection from the wind. As the airplane climbed above trees located on both sides of the runway, the CFI said he encountered wind shear and could not fly out of it. He said the airplane went into a left bank and descended. He elected to land straight ahead in a field. During the landing in soft sand the airplane nosed over. The reported winds at the time of the accident were from 300 degrees at 20 knots, with gusts to 27 knots.
Factual narrative
On March 31, 1997, about 1000 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172N, N738NC, registered to Carolina Flying Club Inc., crashed during a forced landing near St. Matthews, South Carolina. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The local instructional flight was originating at the time, and was being conducted in accordance with Title 14 CFR Part 91. The commercial-rated pilot/certified flight instructor (CFI), private pilot, and one passenger were not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged.
The CFI was instructing the non-current private pilot, in soft field takeoff procedures. The CFI said, as the airplane climbed above the trees that were located on both sides of the runway, the flight encountered windshear and he could not fly out of it. He said, the airplane went into a "left bank" and descended. He elected to land straight ahead in a field. During the landing in soft sand, the airplane nosed over.
According to the FAA inspector's statement the pilot used runway 14 (the downwind runway) because "runway 32 was upslope and the trees adjacent to the runway gave protection from the wind." The pilot said to the FAA inspector that he previously used the downwind runway and the "climbout was smooth."
The reported winds at the time of the accident were from 300 degrees at 20 knots, with gusts to 27 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N738NC
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17270099
- Airframe hours
- 3,452
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Carolina Flying Club Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 30, 1997 · 50 hours before
- Destination
- CUB · Columbia, SC
- Airport
- SC90 · Do-Little Field [Pvt], runway 14, 3,200 × 100 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
- 51
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 6,000 total · 1,000 in this make and model · 6,000 as pilot in command · 72 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 20 knots, gusting 27
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 28.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.