- Date
- July 11, 2000, 16:58 local (20:58 UTC)
- Place
- Chesapeake, VA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N2574SCessna 337C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 2, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000711007159A
- Case key
- 49684
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 follow the published go-around procedure. Factors were the pilot's improper evaluation of the wind conditions, and a tailwind.
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 non-instrument rated pilot observed precipitation and low clouds along his route of flight, and chose to divert to an airport. While landing at the airport, he observed varying winds. He encountered a tailwind and heard the stall warning horn activate. He added power and completely retracted the flaps, with the intent to go-around, but the airplane contacted the runway and traveled off the right side. At the time of the accident, reported winds indicated a tailwind of 10 knots, gusting to 14 knots. Reported winds up to 1 hour prior to the accident indicated a tailwind for that particular runway. Review of the make and model airplane handbook revealed that during a go-around, pilots should partially retract the flaps first, establish an airspeed of 80 knots, then slowly retract the remaining flaps.
Factual narrative
On July 11, 2000, at 1658 Eastern Daylight Time, a Cessna 337C, N2574S, was substantially damaged during a go-around at Chesapeake Regional Airport (CPK), Chesapeake, Virginia. The certificated private pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at CPK, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The flight departed Georgetown County Airport, Georgetown, South Carolina, about 1445; and was destined for Pottstown Municipal Airport, Pottstown, Pennsylvania.
The pilot stated that he received a weather briefing from an Automated Flight Service Station about 1430. He was advised of some deteriorating weather over North Carolina, but not Virginia. While flying over Virginia, he encountered precipitation and low clouds. The pilot was not instrument rated, and chose to divert to CPK.
While on final approach to Runway 23 at CPK, the pilot observed varying wind conditions. He encountered a tailwind, and heard the stall warning horn activate. He added power and completely retracted the flaps, with the intent to go-around, but the airplane contacted the runway and traveled off the right side. It came to rest about 30 feet off to the right side of the runway in a swampy area.
Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed damage to both wings and the fuselage.
Review of a Cessna 337 FAA Approved Airplane Flight Manual revealed:
"Balked Landing (go-around)
(1) Power - FULL THROTTLE and 2800 RPM. (2) Wing Flaps - RETRACT to 1/3 DOWN. (3) Airspeed - 80 KIAS. (4) Wing Flaps - RETRACT slowly (5) Cowl Flaps - OPEN."
The reported weather at CPK, at 1658, was: winds from 050 degrees at 10 knots, gusting to 14 knots; visibility 5 miles; scattered clouds at 2,100 feet; scattered clouds at 3,200 feet; broken ceiling at 4,600 feet; temperature 81 degrees Fahrenheit; dewpoint 75 degrees; altimeter 29.85 inches of mercury.
The reported winds at CPK prior to the accident were:
050 degrees at 6 knots, at 1638; 040 degrees at 4 knots, at 1618; 020 degrees at 3 knots, at 1600.
On July 18, 2000, the Safety Board investigator-in-charge sent a written request for a cassette tape copy of communications between the pilot and Flight Service to a FAA inspector. The data expired before the FAA inspector was able to secure it.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2574S
- Reported as
- Cessna 337C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 337-0874
- Airframe hours
- 2,440
- Engine
- Continental IO-360, 210 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Bernard W. Loeb
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 5, 2000 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- GGE · Georgetown, SC
- Destination
- N47 · Pottstown, PA
- Airport
- CPK · Chesapeake Regional, runway 23, 5,500 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 46
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 442 total · 16 in this make and model · 277 as pilot in command · 17 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 10 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,600 ft broken
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CPK
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.