Undetermined · NTSB ERA17LA261
CESSNA 172 — Danbury, CT
| Date | July 30, 2017 |
| Location | Danbury, CT |
| Aircraft | CESSNA 172 |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Prior to flight Aircraft loading event |
| Pilot age | 63 |
| Pilot total time | 582 hrs · Building experience |
| Time in type | Unknown |
| Fatalities | 1, 2 serious |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Angle of attack-Not attained/maintained - C
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Aircraft capability-Maximum weight-Incorrect use/operation - F
- Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot - F
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Configuration-Incorrect use/operation
What happened
The private pilot and two passengers were departing in the airplane from the 4,422-ft-long asphalt runway. A witness reported that, while still over the runway, the airplane began to lose altitude, then entered a nose-high attitude. The airplane subsequently entered a left-turning descent consistent with an aerodynamic stall. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any preimpact mechanical anomalies; although the ignition key was found in the left magneto position, the preimpact position of the key could not be determined.
Performance calculations revealed that the airplane should have used less than half the available runway distance to clear a 50-ft obstacle at maximum gross weight with flaps extended to 10°. Weight and balance calculations revealed that the airplane was operating about 59 lbs over its maximum allowable gross weight at the time of the accident, and the flaps were found in the retracted position. It is likely that the pilot noticed the airplane's degraded climb performance after takeoff and attempted to compensate by increasing the airplane's pitch attitude, which resulted in decaying airspeed, an exceedance of the critical angle of attack, and an aerodynamic stall.