- Date
- April 19, 2020, 17:30 local (Apr 20, 2020, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- Yakima, WA
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N75765Cessna 172
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 21, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20200419001179A
- Case key
- 101176
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 sufficient altitude during a go-around, which resulted in impact with hilly terrain.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he chose to conduct a low approach over the private airstrip to familiarize himself with it and then go around. He approached the airstrip from the north and entered the left base leg. After turning onto final, the airplane was on a stabilized approach. About 20 ft above ground level, he applied full power, pitched the nose up, and retracted the flaps. The airplane would not gain altitude and was quickly approaching the uphill elevation of the airstrip. The airplane narrowly cleared the hill at the end of the airstrip but continued to lose altitude. The airplane impacted terrain, went over an embankment, nosed over, and came to rest inverted. The fuselage and wings were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he elected to conduct a low approach over the private airstrip to familiarize himself with the area. He approached the airstrip from the north and entered a left base. After turning final, the airplane was on a stabilized approach. About 20 ft above the airstrip he applied full power, pitched the nose up, and retracted the flaps. The airplane would not gain altitude and the uphill elevation of the airstrip was quickly rising. The airplane narrowly cleared the hill at the end of the airstrip, but continued to lose altitude. The airplane touched down, went over an embankment and nosed over, coming to rest inverted. The airplane's fuselage and wings were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N75765
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (N)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17267934
- Built
- 1976
- Airframe hours
- 9,625
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 17, 2020 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- S10 · Chelan, WA
- Destination
- YKM · Yakima, WA
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Equipment
- Unknown
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.
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.93 inHg
- Observed at
- YKM, 13 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 21, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.