Loss of Control in Flight · NTSB ERA18FA174
CESSNA 172 — Diamondhead, MS
| Date | June 22, 2018 |
| Location | Diamondhead, MS |
| Aircraft | CESSNA 172 |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Uncontrolled descent Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) |
| Pilot age | 69 |
| Pilot total time | 169 hrs · Low time |
| Time in type | 169 hrs |
| Fatalities | 1 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Use of equip/system-Student/instructed pilot - C
- Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Flight control system-TE flap control system-Incorrect use/operation - C
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Angle of attack-Capability exceeded - C
What happened
The student pilot obtained his first solo endorsement 10 days before the accident after he had accrued about 165 hours of flight experience. On the day of the accident, he was performing solo traffic pattern work, which included full-stop landings and then taxiing back for each subsequent takeoff. However, interpolation of radar data and the timing of the call to report the accident indicated that the pilot had performed a touch-and-go landing before the accident takeoff and flight.
A witness described the airplane at a low altitude and airspeed as it crossed, at treetop height, an interstate highway immediately beyond the departure end of the runway. The airplane then disappeared below the trees.
Examination of the wreckage site and the airplane wreckage revealed evidence consistent with engine power at impact and no preimpact mechanical anomaly. Measurement of the exposed threads of the flap actuator corresponded with a full-flap, 40° extension setting.
According to the manufacturer's owner's manual, "flap settings of 30° to 40° are not recommended at any time for take-off." Thus, because the pilot took off with 40° of flaps, the airplane was unable to attain the normal climb speed and entered a stall/mush from which the pilot could not recover because of the low altitude.