Loss of Control in Flight · NTSB ERA10LA233
CESSNA 172H — Archer, FL
| Date | April 16, 2010 |
| Location | Archer, FL |
| Aircraft | CESSNA 172H |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Uncontrolled descent Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) |
| Pilot age | 73 |
| Pilot total time | 400 hrs · Building experience |
| Time in type | Unknown |
| Fatalities | 1 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Incorrect action performance-Pilot - C
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Airspeed-Not attained/maintained - C
- Not determined-Not determined-(general)-(general)-Unknown/Not determined - C
What happened
The pilot was discovered in the wreckage of his airplane, one-quarter mile east of the destination airport, an estimated one hour after the accident. Before he was transported to the hospital, where he died of his injuries, he told a police detective that he did not recall the accident. A review of photographs and satellite images revealed that the pasture where the airplane came to rest was adjacent, and parallel to, the turf runway at the destination airport. The initial ground scar in the field was abeam the approach end of the runway. It could not be determined if the pilot mistook the field site for the airport, or if he attempted a forced landing there, but the dimensions and the surface conditions of the field site could have supported a normal landing. Deformation of the airframe and flight controls were consistent with a 35-degree, nose-low, high-energy impact consistent with a stall. Postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of mechanical anomalies.