Accident Cessna 172S N21101,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 284093
 
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Date:Sunday 28 October 2007
Time:16:30 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic C172 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Cessna 172S
Owner/operator:Private
Registration: N21101
MSN: 172S9611
Year of manufacture:2004
Total airframe hrs:162 hours
Engine model:Textron Lycoming IO-360-L2A
Fatalities:Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Category:Accident
Location:Palm Springs-Bermuda Dunes Airport, CA (UDD/KUDD) -   United States of America
Phase: Take off
Nature:Training
Departure airport:Palm Springs-Bermuda Dunes Airport, CA (UDD/KUDD)
Destination airport:Palm Springs-Bermuda Dunes Airport, CA (UDD/KUDD)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
The certified flight instructor (CFI) and student were on a local instructional flight that included touch-and-go landings in the vicinity of the uncontrolled airport. The airplane took off to the west, returned, and performed a touch-and-go in the opposite direction, then made two sharp 90-degree turns to line up with the western runway again. The airplane did a touch-and-go, and appeared to climb at a very steep angle. Witnesses indicated that it appeared to be fully silhouetted in plan view against the sky when viewed from behind. The airplane subsequently turned to the right and dropped to the ground. The student pilot survived the accident, and said he was instructed by the CFI to fly down the runway just high enough so that the wheels would not touch. The student then pulled up to the appropriate takeoff attitude, but most likely failed to apply takeoff power, and the CFI failed to respond to the situation before the airplane was in a nose high, stalled condition in which there was not sufficient altitude to recover safely. The CFI's postmortem blood ethanol level was 0.31%, a level that would render a nontolerant individual unconscious, or nearly so. This level of tolerance suggests a minimum period of weeks or months of sustained increased alcohol intake, rather than a single binge event, particularly given that witnesses saw the instructor consume alcohol before the flight, a prior DUI conviction, and the liver cirrhosis found during the autopsy. The CFI's judgment and performance were undoubtedly impaired by alcohol. The CFI had reported to the FAA his prior DUI, but the FAA did not request details, nor require an additional substance dependence evaluation.

Probable Cause: The flight instructor's failure to maintain sufficient airspeed to avoid a stall during takeoff-initial climb, and his impairment from alcohol.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: LAX08FA023
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 7 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB LAX08FA023

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
30-Sep-2022 07:48 ASN Update Bot Added
30-Sep-2022 07:51 harro Updated [Total fatalities, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Destination airport, Narrative]

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