- Date
- October 21, 1995, 19:50 local (23:50 UTC)
- Place
- Chester, CT
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N9412BCessna 172RG
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report May 9, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19951021033829A
- Case key
- 39116
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 airspeed, and his delay in aborting the takeoff, which resulted in a runway overrun and collision with trees. Factors relating to the accident were: the wet runway and hydroplaning conditions.
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
During the takeoff roll on a wet runway, the pilot elected to abort the takeoff because, the airplane 'accelerated slowly.' He attempted to stop the airplane by retarding the throttle to idle, applied maximum braking and back pressure on the yoke. The airplane did not stop, and departed the runway, just prior to the end, continued down a 30 foot embankment and struck trees. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions. According to an FAA inspector, the pilot's experience in this make and model airplane was as a flight instructor with 2 persons on board with less than full fuel. The inspector reported the airplane was at maximum gross weight, a condition that the pilot had never experienced.
Factual narrative
On October 21, 1995, about 1950 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172RG, N9412B, collided with trees during an aborted takeoff at the Chester Airport, Chester, Connecticut. The airplane was substantially damaged. The commercial pilot and three passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an IFR flight plan had been filed. The personal flight, with a final destination of Atlantic City, New Jersey, was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
During the takeoff roll on a wet runway, 2,566 feet long, 50 feet wide, the pilot elected to abort the takeoff.
The pilot stated:
...I held the brakes while I applied full power...released the brakes. The aircraft accelerated slowly...[at] rotation speed I applied back pressure on the yoke...did not feel as if the airplane continued to accelerate...released back pressure momentarily...then applied back pressure again. It still did not feel like it was about to fly. I felt I should not continue the takeoff since I did not know what was wrong...retarded the throttle to idle...applied maximum braking and back pressure. The airplane seemed to hydroplane immediately and this continued until we departed the east side of the runway just prior to the runway end.
According to the FAA Inspector's statement, "...the pilot could not stop [the] aircraft on the wet...runway and ran off the departure end...down a 30 ft. embankment and struck trees."
The FAA Inspector stated that most of the pilot's experience in this make and model airplane was as a flight instructor with "only 2 persons on board with less than full fuel." This accident occurred at "maximum gross weight," a condition that the pilot "has never experienced." The FAA Inspector further stated, "...the pilot's decision to abort was too late for a...wet runway at night."
The reported local weather was; 1,500 broken, visibility 5 mile, light rain, temperature 62 degrees F, wind 270 degrees at 8 knots.
The pilot had a total of 2,294 flight hours, and 125 hours in this make and model airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9412B
- Reported as
- Cessna 172RG
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172RG0815
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-F1A6, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Wiliamson Industries
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 3B9
- Destination
- ACY · Atlantic City, NJ
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- 3B9 · Chester, runway 17, 2,566 × 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
- 43
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,294 total · 125 in this make and model · 2,056 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 270° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 63 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.