- Date
- December 30, 2004, 12:35 local (17:35 UTC)
- Place
- Smoketown, PA
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N9962FCessna 172R
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 27, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO-13
- FAA report
- 20041230033509A
- Case key
- 60798
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 maintain directional control during takeoff, which resulted in a collision with a parked airplane.
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 boarded three passengers, and taxied to a 2,400-foot-long, 50-foot-wide, asphalt runway. The pilot initiated a takeoff roll, and rotated the airplane at 55 knots, but it did not become airborne. The airplane veered left and traveled off the left side of the runway. The pilot applied right rudder and brake, but the airplane continued left and struck a parked airplane. The airplane then struck a fence and two parked vehicles before coming to rest upright in an adjacent parking lot. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any pre-impact mechanical malfunctions, nor did the pilot report any.
Factual narrative
On December 30, 2004, about 1235 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172R, N9962F, was substantially damaged during takeoff at Smoketown Airport (S37), Smoketown, Pennsylvania. The certificated private pilot and two passengers were not injured, while one passenger sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The pilot reported that he received his private pilot certificate in July, 2004, and had accumulated about 64 hours of total flight experience. On December 28, the pilot received a 1.4-hour "check-out" flight in the accident airplane. On December 29, the pilot received a .7-hour "check-out" flight in the accident airplane, and was then authorized to rent the airplane.
On the day of the accident, the pilot boarded three passengers, and taxied to runway 28; a 2,400-foot-long, 50-foot-wide, asphalt runway. The pilot initiated a takeoff roll, and rotated the airplane at 55 knots, but it did not become airborne. The airplane veered left and traveled off the left side of the runway. The pilot applied right rudder and brake, but the airplane continued left and struck a parked airplane. The airplane then struck a fence and two parked vehicles before coming to rest upright in an adjacent parking lot.
Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector did not reveal any pre-impact mechanical malfunctions, nor did the pilot report any.
The reported wind at an airport about 7 miles northwest of the accident site, at 1253, was from 090 degrees at 3 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9962F
- Reported as
- Cessna 172R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17280169
- Airframe hours
- 1,965
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Aero-Tech Services
- Registered owner
- Elvin R. Engel
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 2004 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- S37 · Smoketown, PA
- Destination
- S37
- Airport
- S37 · Smoketown Airport, runway 28, 2,400 × 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
- 26
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 1, 2004
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 64 total · 2 in this make and model · 11 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,400 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.43 inHg
- Observed at
- LNS, 7 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.