- Date
- April 22, 2001, 13:10 local (17:10 UTC)
- Place
- Hampton, NH
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3117TCessna 177
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 4, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20010422008009A
- Case key
- 52100
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 inadvertent encounter with a downdraft, which resulted in a collision with trees. A factor related to the accident were the downdraft 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 pilot stated that while landing on runway 20, as the airplane crossed over a tree line, the airplane's airspeed "shot up" momentarily to 105 mph, and then back to 80 mph. After encountering the "heavy turbulence," the pilot elected to perform a go-around; however, as the airplane began to climb, at a "best climb of 65 to 70 mph," the airplane would not ascend, and struck trees located about 50 feet beyond the departure end of the runway. After impacting the trees, the airplane descended, and came to rest on top of a stone wall. According to the Airplane Owners Manual, the obstacle clearance speed, with a 1/4 flap setting, was 67 mph. The winds reported at an airport located about 6 miles to the north of 7B3, at 1255, were from 280 degrees at 18 knots, gusts to 25 knots.
Factual narrative
On April 22, 2001, about 1310 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 177, N3117T, was substantially damaged during a go-around from the Hampton Airfield (7B3), Hampton, New Hampshire. The certificated commercial pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According the pilot, he was landing on runway 20, a 2,100-foot long, turf runway. As the airplane crossed over a tree line, the airspeed "shot up" momentarily to 105 mph, and then back to 80 mph. After encountering the "heavy turbulence," the pilot elected to perform a go-around. As the airplane began to climb, at a "best climb of 65 to 70 mph," the airplane would not ascend, and struck trees located about 50 feet beyond the departure end of the runway. The airplane descended, and impacted two evergreen trees before coming to rest on top of a stone wall.
According to the airplane Owners Manual, the published stall speed for the airplane in level flight, with a 1/4 flap setting, was 60 mph. The manual also stated that the obstacle clearance speed, with a 1/4 flap setting, was 67 mph.
The winds reported at an airport located about 6 miles to the north of 7B3, at 1255, were from 280 degrees at 18 knots, gusts to 25 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3117T
- Reported as
- Cessna 177
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17700417
- Airframe hours
- 4,556
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John L. Palmer
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 24, 2000 · 159 hours before
- Departed
- 81B · Oxford, ME
- Destination
- 7B3 · NH
- Airport
- 7B3 · Hampton Airfield, runway 20, 2,100 × 170 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
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- September 23, 1999
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,009 total · 45 in this make and model · 981 as pilot in command · 27 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 18 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- PSM, 6 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.