ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 296834
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| Date: | Sunday 4 August 2002 |
| Time: | 13:15 LT |
| Type: |  Cessna 172S |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N431ME |
| MSN: | 172S8431 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2000 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 1319 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming IO 360 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Marietta, Oklahoma -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Marietta, OK (T40) |
| Broken Arrow, OK (84OL) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The private pilot reported in his initial statement that the airplane rotated about one-third of the way down the runway. In a subsequent statement he said rotation was delayed until near the end of the runway. After initial takeoff climb, the pilot said the autopilot unexpectedly engaged causing the airplane to enter a climbing turn to the right. After manually overpowering the autopilot, the aircraft stalled and rotated to the left before impacting tree tops and coming to rest in a wings level, nose low attitude. The pilot said that he did not respond to the situation immediately, as he was stunned by what was happening. He also said he didn't observe the autopilot light, and didn't think to disengage the autopilot. The right seat passenger, a commercially rated pilot, said he was certain the aircraft was airborne shortly after crossing a road which bisects the runway approximately one-third of the way down the airstrip. The passenger reported hearing the stall warning sound intermittently for 3 to 4 seconds, stop for 2 to 3 seconds, and then begin sounding continuously. At this point the passenger observed a definitive nose up attitude as he watched the airspeed decrease and the aural stall warning continue for about 8 to 10 seconds before the right wing dropped. He then observed the pilot pull back on the control yoke. The aircraft then drifted to the left before the left wing began impacting trees. The passenger also said he wasn't sure if the pilot had inadvertently engaged the autopilot after takeoff. Post-accident examination of the autopilot system components by an FAA inspector and the autopilot manufacturer did not disclose any evidence of malfunctions or abnormal autopilot operation.
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in a stall.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB FTW02LA224
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 14-Oct-2022 11:19 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
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