- Date
- October 16, 2001, 20:00 local (Oct 17, 2001, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Northampton, MA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N811PCessna 172L
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report June 4, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20011016029459A
- Case key
- 53629
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 pilots' failure to maintain airspeed, which resulted in a loss of control and 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
The airplane was on approach for landing. According to the pilot, when the airplane was about 10 to 15 feet above the runway, the "airspeed got too slow" and the airplane dropped onto the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the landing gear, wings, and engine. The pilot said he did not experience and mechanical problems with the airplane.
Factual narrative
On October 16, 2001, about 2000 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172L, N811P, was substantially damaged while landing at the Northampton Airport (7B2), Northampton, Massachusetts. The certificated private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan had been filed for the flight that departed the Taunton Airport, Taunton, Massachusetts. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
In a written statement, the pilot said he cancelled his IFR flight plan when he had 7B2 in-sight, and then entered the traffic pattern for runway 14, a 3,506-foot long, 50-foot wide, asphalt runway. While on final approach, the pilot's left foot momentarily became caught under the right rudder pedal. The pilot freed his foot and was about 10 to 15 feet above the runway, when the "airspeed got too slow" and the airplane dropped onto the runway.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the landing gear, wings, and engine.
The pilot reported about 145 hours of total flight experience, with about 35 hours in make and model. The pilot further stated he did not experience and mechanical problems with the airplane.
The winds reported at an airport about 10 miles south-southeast of 7B2, at 1955, were from 110 degrees at 5 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N811P
- Reported as
- Cessna 172L
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17260298
- Airframe hours
- 9,150
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Wagner Airways
- Registered owner
- American Wings, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 30, 2001 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- TAN · Taunton, MA
- Destination
- 7B2 · Northampton, MA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- 7B2 · Northampton, runway 14, 3,506 × 50 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
- 20
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- August 18, 2001
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 144 total · 35 in this make and model · 96 as pilot in command · 37 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 110° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.88 inHg
- Observed at
- CEF, 9 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.
Other investigations on N811P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.