Cessna 172B N8178X

Summary

On 20 August 2000 at about 22:40 local time, a Cessna 172B registered N8178X was involved in an accident near Sunriver, Oregon, United States. 4 people were 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

20 August 2000 at 22:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Sunriver, Oregon, United States

Coordinates

44.2595, -121.2200

Aircraft

Cessna 172B

Registration

N8178X

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Sunriver → Vancouver

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA00LA168

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's improper decision to continue the takeoff after the aircraft failed to climb or accelerate immediately after the initial liftoff. Factors were inadequate preflight planning, to include the pilot's failure to calculate takeoff performance data, trees off the departure end of the runway, a high density altitude environment, and wet, swampy/marshy terrain in the area where the pilot found it necessary to execute a precautionary/emergency landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot, who had not completed takeoff performance calculations for the high density altitude environment, elected to continue his takeoff after the aircraft failed to climb or accelerate following the initial liftoff. He therefore lowered the nose, allowed the aircraft to settle back on the runway, and rotated a second time at a higher indicated airspeed. While attempting to climb out soon after the second liftoff, the aircraft encountered an area of downdrafts, and the pilot became convinced that he might not clear some tall trees along his takeoff path. He therefore elected to make a precautionary landing straight ahead. Although he made a successful touchdown, he had landed in a wet, marshy/swampy area, and when the nose wheel touched the soft terrain, it sank in and the aircraft nosed over.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.