Hard landing Accident Cessna 172 N124ME,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 291353
 
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Date:Sunday 5 June 2016
Time:16:20 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic C172 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Cessna 172
Owner/operator:
Registration: N124ME
MSN: 172S8372
Year of manufacture:2000
Total airframe hrs:7100 hours
Engine model:Lycoming IO-360-L2A
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Category:Accident
Location:Henderson, Arkansas -   United States of America
Phase: Initial climb
Nature:Private
Departure airport:HENDERSON, AR (75AR)
Destination airport:Jonesboro Airport, AR (JBR/KJBR)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
The pilot reported that during the initial climb after taking off from a wet grass runway, he believed that the airplane would not clear the trees located at the end of the runway. He further reported that he aborted the takeoff by pushing the nose of the airplane down and reducing power to idle. Subsequently, the airplane touched down hard in a nose low attitude, which resulted in a nose gear collapse and propeller strike on the runway.

The firewall and both wings sustained substantial damage. 

The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

The National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge requested the pilot to provide the weight and balance calculations from the accident flight. The pilot could not produce a copy of the actual weight and balance, but provided the weights for the occupants and the fuel on board. According to the information provided, the estimated airplane weight and balance should have been within the manufacture's limitations.  

According to the manufacture's takeoff performance planning charts, the estimated ground roll should have been 1,138 feet and the distance to clear a 50 foot obstacle should have been 1,680 feet; the runway used was 3,000 feet in length with trees located at the end of the runway. The manufacturer's takeoff performance planning charts did not provide information for departing on wet grass surfaces.
   
The Federal Aviation Administration's Airplane Flying Handbook in part states: "Soft surfaces or long, wet grass usually reduces the airplane's acceleration during the takeoff roll so much that adequate takeoff speed might not be attained if normal takeoff techniques were employed." It is likely that the wet grass increased the ground roll distance, which influenced the pilot's decision to abort the takeoff.

Probable Cause: The pilot's decision to abort the takeoff, which resulted in a hard landing and nose landing gear collapse.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: GAA16CA288
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 1 month
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB GAA16CA288

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
07-Oct-2022 12:49 ASN Update Bot Added

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