Loss of control Accident Cessna 172G Skylane N5800R,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 178437
 
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Date:Saturday 8 August 2015
Time:16:52
Type:Silhouette image of generic C172 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Cessna 172G Skylane
Owner/operator:Private
Registration: N5800R
MSN: 17253469
Year of manufacture:1966
Total airframe hrs:4999 hours
Engine model:Continental O-300-D
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Category:Accident
Location:Cedar County NW of Menominee, NE -   United States of America
Phase: Take off
Nature:Private
Departure airport:Grass Airstrip, NE
Destination airport:Hartington, NE (0B4)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
The private pilot reported that he departed from a private grass airstrip with the airplane’s flaps set to 30 degrees. He then climbed the airplane to about 20 ft above ground level (agl) and continued to the southwest. About 50 ft agl, as the pilot reached over to raise the flaps 10 degrees, the engine lost partial power. The yoke abruptly came back toward him, the airplane’s nose pitched up, and the stall warning horn sounded. He pushed the yoke forward as hard as he could with both hands and trimmed the nosewheel down, but the trimwheel was hard to turn, almost requiring two hands to move it. He reached over to the flap handle and “bumped” it to 10 degrees. The airplane then aerodynamically stalled, and it impacted the ground in a steep nosedown attitude.
Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The damage to the propeller indicated that the engine was developing power at the time of ground impact. The airplane owner’s manual stated that “Flap settings of 30- to 40-degrees are not recommended at any time for takeoff.” Although the pilot reported a partial loss of engine power, it is likely that flying the airplane out of ground effect with the flap setting of 30 degrees significantly increased the induced drag, which created the effect of not having sufficient engine power to overcome the drag and prevent an aerodynamic stall.

Probable Cause: The pilot’s decision to use an excessive, unapproved flap setting for takeoff, which significantly increased the induced drag and resulted in an aerodynamic stall when the airplane flew out of ground effect.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: CEN15LA343
Status: Investigation completed
Duration:
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB
FAA register: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=5800R

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
09-Aug-2015 00:59 Geno Added
09-Aug-2015 05:59 Geno Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Phase, Source, Damage, Narrative]
26-Mar-2016 06:11 pilot Updated [Phase, Nature, Narrative]
21-Dec-2016 19:30 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]
01-Dec-2017 15:09 ASN Update Bot Updated [Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]

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