Cessna 172L N172KB

Summary

On 25 May 1999 at about 17:05 local time, a Cessna 172L registered N172KB was involved in an accident near Gunnison, Colorado, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

25 May 1999 at 17:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Gunnison, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Cessna 172L

Registration

N172KB

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Chandler

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN99LA085

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's inadvertent stall/mush immediately after takeoff. Factors were the high density altitude weather condition, and the pilot's total lack of experience in type of operation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot said that after an engine run-up, he departed on runway 24 using full power. He said that at 'approximately 100 to 150 feet off the surface a vibration began from the engine, immediately began loosing [sic] airspeed, lowered nose to regain airspeed (set some flaps), gradually raised nose of the airplane, (checked settings) lost airspeed, lowered nose again, to regain airspeed, raised nose, continued to lose airspeed, began looking for a place to set down.' He said that he turned left approximately 90 degrees and then left another 45 degrees before he impacted the ground. The pilot reported that he had approximately 93 hours of flight experience, and this was his first flying trip to Colorado. A witness reported that the accident pilot 'porpoised the airplane during takeoff roll, and I could hear his stall warning horn going off.' Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the mixture was in the full forward position. At the time of the accident, the density altitude was calculated to be 8,734 feet.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.