- Date
- August 8, 1994, 18:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Pottsville, PA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N52211Cessna 172P
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 7, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940808048219A
- Case key
- 38819
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 attain adequate airpseed, which resulted in a stall/mush and collision with a tree.
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 reported that during the flare for landing, the airplane touched down hard. The pilot had used full flaps and his airspeed was 70 KTS. The airplane bounced back into the air and porpoised. The pilot added power to abort the landing and reset the flaps to 20 degrees. The pilot reported the airplane was not climbing and he could hear the stall horn. The airplane drifted left of the runway and struck trees.
Factual narrative
On August 8, 1994, at 1830 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172P, N52211, piloted by Mr. Chester E. Weaver, of Columbia, Pennsylvania, struck trees during a go-around at Schuykill County Airport, Pottsville, Pennsylvania. The occupants were not injured and the airplane received substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the personal transportation flight which was operated under 14 CFR Part 91.
In a telephone interview the pilot reported he used full flaps and 70 knots on final. He flared, but the touchdown was hard. The airplane bounced and porpoised 2 or 3 times and then full power was added for a go-around. The flaps were raised to 20 degrees and carburetor heat was turned off. The pilot reported he heard the stall horn and the airplane did not appear to be gaining altitude. There was a crosswind from the right and airplane drifted left of the runway. The nose of the airplane was up and the engine was operating normally. The airplane then struck the trees.
The airport was serviced by an Automatic Weather Observation Site (AWOS). The weather was taken every 20 minutes. Following are times of observations and the recorded winds:
Time Wind Direction Velocity
1801 230 4 kts 1821 230 4 kts 1841 250 3 kts 1901 240 6 kts
According to the Airport Facility Directory, runway 29 was 4594 feet long, 75 feet wide, and had a hard surface.
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with 220 hours total time, and 28 hours in the Cessna 172.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N52211
- Reported as
- Cessna 172P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17274438
- Airframe hours
- 5,790
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2J, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Airways, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 10, 1994 · 105 hours before
- Departed
- LNS · Lancaster, PA
- Airport
- ZER · Schuykill County, runway 29, 4,594 × 75 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
- 57
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 220 total · 28 in this make and model · 143 as pilot in command · 22 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ZER
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.