# NTSB NYC95LA217: Cessna 172, N7154T, Quakertown, PA, September 2, 1995 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: September 2, 1995, 10:00 local (14:00 UTC) - Place: Quakertown, PA - Coordinates: 40.43016, -75.340728 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.4302&lon=-75.3407&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report November 30, 1995 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 39048 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=NYC95LA217 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/39048/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC95LA217 ## Probable cause the pilot's failure to maintain directional control, and the pilot's improper use of the wing flaps, which resulted in an inadvertent stall, and contact with trees. A factor was the crosswind. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - in flight, landing - aborted - weather condition - crosswind (contributing factor) - weather condition - gusts (contributing factor) - compensation for wind conditions - improper, pilot in command (cause) - flaps - improper use of, pilot in command (cause) - stall/mush - inadvertent, pilot in command - In flight collision with object, descent - uncontrolled - object - tree(s) ## Analysis THE STUDENT PILOT WAS CONDUCTING TAKEOFF AND LANDING PRACTICE. ON HER FIFTH APPROACH, SHE ENCOUNTERED AN UPDRAFT, AND ADDED POWER TO MAKE A GO-AROUND. THERE WAS A CROSSWIND FROM THE RIGHT WHICH DRIFTED THE AIRPLANE LEFT, OFF THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY TOWARD TREES. THE WING FLAPS WERE EXTENDED 40 DEGREES, AND WHEN SHE ATTEMPTED TO RETRACT THE FLAPS 10 DEGREES SHE INADVERTENTLY RETRACTED THEM 20 DEGREES. THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO DRIFT LEFT, OVER THE TOPS OF TREES AND WHEN SHE PULLED BACK ON THE YOKE TO STAY OUT OF THE TREES, THE AIRPLANE STALLED AND CRASHED. ## Factual narrative On September 2, 1995, at 1000 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172, N7154T, struck trees during a go-around, at Quakertown Airport, Quakertown, Pennsylvania. The student pilot was not injured, and the airplane received substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the local, solo training flight, which was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91, and departed at 0900. In the NTSB Accident Report, the pilot stated: ...[I] was about to land for the fifth time. I was coming in on final on 29 and was over the runway waiting for the plane to flare. The winds were gusting at about 8 to 10 knots from the north. I got caught in an updraft. I felt I was too high to land so I decided to go around. I pushed the throttle full forward and began to do so. The correction I made for the wind was not enough to keep me over the runway. Another gust blew me to the left where there is a row of trees separated by about 60 feet of grass. I pulled [retracted] the flaps to try to gain some altitude. Instead of one [notch of] flap, two [notches] came out and made the situation worse blowing me further to the left. I was over the tree tops by then. I pulled up to keep the plane out of the trees and stalled. The plane lost all lift and dove to the ground.... The wing flaps were manually extended by depressing a thumb lock on the end of a bar located between the seats, and pulling up. The degree of movement on the lever controled the amount of flap extension. There were 5 detents which correspond to up, 10 degrees, 20 degrees, 30 degrees, and 40 degrees of flap extension. In a telephone interview, the pilot reported she had extended the flaps to 40 degrees when she initiated the go-around. She attempted to retract the flaps to 30 degrees, however, they were inadvertently retracted to 20 degrees. According to the Airport Facility Directory, runway 29 was 3,201 feet long, 50 feet wide, and had an asphalt surface. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N7154T](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N7154T-1998-08-19), registration cancelled 1998-08-19, S/N 46754 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 172 - Registry model: [Cessna 172](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172) (registry code 2072402) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 46754 - Airframe hours: 2350 - Engines: CONTINENTAL O-300-A 145 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Registered owner: Grace M. Lloyd - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, November 15, 1994, 80 hours before - Departed: UKT - Airport: UKT, Quakertown, runway 29, 3,201 × 50 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 52; student; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 49 total, 26 in this make and model, 5 as pilot in command, 26 in the last 90 days, 7 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 330° at 10 knots - Visibility: 15 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 84 °F ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19950902027969A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19950902027969A), Sep 2, 1995: Cessna 172, Quakertown, PA, Substantial damage. Drifting on flare. Began go around to avoid trees. Dumped flaps from, 40 to 20 degrees. Over trees pull up stalled. From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.