- Date
- June 7, 2001, 18:10 local (22:10 UTC)
- Place
- Nashua, NH
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N6863HCessna 172M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 7, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20010607010539A
- Case key
- 52448
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 CFI's improper decision to abort the takeoff and his improper flare, which resulted in a hard landing.
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
As the airplane was taxiing to the runway, the CFI noticed a "skip" in the engine. During the pre-take off run up, the left magneto was observed as running "rough." The CFI increased the engine power to 2,000 RPM and leaned the mixture until the "roughness" was gone. The airplane was then taxied to the runway for departure. During the takeoff climb, about 100 to 200 feet AGL, the "skip" in the engine was experienced again. With about 1/3 of the runway remaining, the CFI elected to abort the take off, and descended the airplane at a steep angle towards the runway. The airplane impacted the runway with the nose wheel, bounced back into the air, and departed the end of the runway. The airplane touched down a second time on the nose wheel in a grass area, flipped over and came to rest inverted. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane after the accident and noted no discrepancies with the engine or ignition system.
Factual narrative
On June 7, 2001, about 1810 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172M, N6863H, was substantially damaged during a precautionary landing at the Boire Field, Nashua, New Hampshire. The certificated flight instructor (CFI) and student pilot were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local instructional flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the CFI, as the airplane was taxiing to the runway, he noticed a "skip" in the engine. When the CFI and the student performed a pre-take off run up, the left magneto was "rough." The CFI increased the engine power to 2,000 RPM and leaned the mixture until the "roughness" was gone. The airplane was then taxied to the runway for departure. During the takeoff climb from runway 32, a 5,501-foot long asphalt runway, approximately 100 to 200 feet AGL, the "skip" in the engine was experienced again. With about 1/3 of the runway remaining, the CFI elected to abort the take off, and descended the airplane at a steep angle towards the runway. The airplane impacted the runway with the nose wheel, bounced back into the air, and departed the end of the runway. The airplane touched down a second time on the nose wheel in a grass area, flipped over and came to rest inverted.
A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane after the accident and noted no discrepancies with the engine or ignition system.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6863H
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17265617
- Airframe hours
- 5,620
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Air Direct Airways
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 10, 2001 · 45 hours before
- Departed
- ASH · Nashua, NH
- Destination
- ASH · Nashua, NH
- Airport
- ASH · Boire Field, runway 32, 5,501 × 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 49
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- August 16, 2000
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,078 total · 33 in this make and model · 845 as pilot in command · 22 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Student pilot
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.80 inHg
- Observed at
- ASH
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.