Cessna 172RG N3745B

Summary

On 5 September 1994 at about 17:44 local time, a Cessna 172RG registered N3745B, operated by El Toro Aero Club, was involved in an accident near Truckee, California, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

5 September 1994 at 17:44

Classification

Accident

Location

Truckee, California, United States

Nearest airport

Truckee Tahoe (TRK)

Coordinates

39.3303, -120.2399

Aircraft

Cessna 172RG

Registration

N3745B

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

El Toro Aero Club

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Truckee Tahoe → El Toro

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX94FA353

4 people died.

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO OBTAIN/MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED TO CLIMB AFTER TAKEOFF, WHICH RESULTED IN A STALL AND SUBSEQUENT COLLISION WITH THE GROUND. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE, IMPROPER TRIM SETTING FOR TAKEOFF, THE AIRPLANE'S EXCESSIVE GROSS WEIGHT, AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THE MAKE/MODEL OF AIRPLANE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT (PIC) AND THREE PASSENGERS WERE DEPARTING FROM THE MOUNTAIN AIRPORT AT A DENSITY ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 7542 FEET. THE PIC WAS A MILITARY PILOT WITH 288 HOURS OF TOTAL FLIGHT TIME, OF WHICH 144 HOURS WERE LOGGED AS HELICOPTER TIME. ABOUT FOUR MONTHS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, THE PIC WAS ISSUED AN FAA COMMERCIAL PILOT CERTIFICATE BASED ON HIS MILITARY COMPETENCE. ABOUT A MONTH BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, HE HAD A CHECKOUT IN THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE. BY THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, HE HAD ACCUMULATED ABOUT 11 HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME IN THE CESSNA 172RG. THE AIRPLANE WAS ESTIMATED TO BE 32 POUNDS OVER ITS MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT. GROUND WITNESSES SAW IT ROTATE AT MID-FIELD, ASSUME A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE, AND REACH AN ESTIMATED 100 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY. THEY REPORTED THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED PAST THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY WITHOUT GAINING ADDITIONAL ALTITUDE, WHERE IT ENTERED A LEFT TURN. THE AIRPLANE THEN ROLLED TO THE LEFT AND IMPACTED THE GROUND INVERTED. POSTCRASH EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE ELEVATOR TRIM TAB WAS AT 10 DEGREES TAB DOWN. NORMAL TAKEOFF ELEVATOR TRIM WAS ABOUT NEUTRAL OR ZERO DEGREES. NO PREIMPACT MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE OF THE AIRPLANE WAS FOUND THAT WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN THE ACCIDENT, THOUGH THE PLANE WAS DAMAGED BY FIRE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.