ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 201510
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| Date: | Sunday 19 November 2017 |
| Time: | 15:00 |
| Type: |  Cessna 172P Skyhawk |
| Owner/operator: | Squadron Two Flying Club |
| Registration: | N52492 |
| MSN: | 17274540 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1980 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 14748 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-320 SERIES |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Reid-Hillview Airport of Santa Clara County (KRHV), San Jose, CA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | San Jose-Reid-Hillview Airport, CA (RHV/KRHV) |
| San Jose-Reid-Hillview Airport, CA (RHV/KRHV) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On November 19, 2017, about 1500 Pacific standard time, a Cessna 172P airplane, N52492, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident in San Jose, California. The private pilot sustained minor injuries and the two passengers were seriously injured. The airplane was operated by Squadron 2 Flight Club as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
During the accident flight, the pilot was seated in the front left seat and the pilot-rated passenger was seated in the front right seat. A passenger was seated in the row 2 left seat, behind the pilot. The front seat occupants had agreed that the pilot would fly the airplane while the pilot-rated passenger made radio calls and verified checklist items. They computed the airplane's weight and balance, takeoff distance and roll with full fuel tanks. After a preflight inspection, they taxied the airplane to the airport run-up area. The pilot ran the engine up to 1,800 rpm and observed a 50 rpm drop when she selected the right and left magnetos individually, during which time she observed a difference of 75 rpm between the magnetos. The pilot reported that she followed the airplane checklist for each procedure, then selected both fuel tanks and departed after she received a clearance from air traffic control. She did not deploy the flaps during the accident flight. The instrument indications were in the green as the airplane lifted off the runway at 55 knots. During the initial climb, to about 50 ft indicated altitude, the pilot observed a decreasing climb rate and airspeed with a simultaneous drop in rpm. The airplane stopped climbing and the engine harmonic became rough and then quiet, but it didn't stop functioning. According to the pilot, she attempted to maintain an airspeed above 44 knots, which was the airplane's stall speed. Immediately, the pilot-rated passenger stated that they needed to land and announced "MAYDAY, MAYDAY" to air traffic control. The pilot performed a wide turn and allowed the airplane to descend slightly. She eventually observed a green field and then the airport perimeter, but estimated that the airplane would not reach the airport. During the airplane's final movements, the nose suddenly dropped as the airplane descended towards the ground. The pilot retarded the mixture control to idle/cutoff and changed the fuel selector to the OFF position just before impact. Later, the pilot noted that she was unable to maintain altitude before she entered the wide turn. She further remarked that she had engaged the noise canceling function of her headset for the accident flight and that the engine sounded normal during the takeoff roll.
The pilot-rated passenger's statement was consistent with the pilot's. He added that the airplane stopped climbing just after it departed the runway surface. The pilot-rated passenger observed a tree located beyond the departure end of the runway and across a road that he uses as a landmark during flights. They were approaching the tree and both observed the airplane wasn't climbing, so they decided to level off and troubleshoot the anomaly. He observed the pilot struggle to maintain control of the airplane for the rest of the flight.
A smartphone recording captured the airplane's initial climb and subsequent movements. The recording showed the airplane maintain a low altitude and then enter a shallow left turn in a slight nose high attitude, shortly after its departure from the runway. During this time, the propeller appeared to be rotating. At the end of its 180° turn, the airplane's bank angle progressed into a steep turn as the airplane descended rapidly and the propeller's rotation reduced significantly. In its final movements, the airplane's pitch attitude decreased and the airplane's wings leveled out before the airplane disappeared behind trees. The airplane's flaps were observed in the retracted position just before it disappeared and impacted the ground.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
http://abc7.com/3-injured-after-small-plane-crashes-into-san-jose-home/2671519/
https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/San-Jose-Plane-Crash-Evelyn-Avenue-458680033.html
https://www.mercurynews.com/2017/11/19/two-people-injured-in-plane-crash-in-san-jose/
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N52492
http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=52492
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 20-Nov-2017 02:00 | Geno | Added |
| 02-Sep-2020 13:54 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 02-Sep-2020 14:07 | harro | Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 06-May-2023 07:47 | Nepa | Updated [[Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]] |
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