Cessna 140 N72701

Summary

On 24 November 2001 at about 16:20 local time, a Cessna 140 registered N72701 was involved in an accident near Gilchrist, Texas, 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

24 November 2001 at 16:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Gilchrist, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Private (NONE)

Coordinates

29.5099, -94.5206

Aircraft

Cessna 140

Registration

N72701

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Gilchrist → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW02LA045

Nobody was injured.

the pilot's improper use of carburetor heat during takeoff and his selection of a downwind runway, which resulted in a degradation of performance and the airplane impacting an embankment.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot took off to the south from a grass field, which measured approximately 760 feet in length and was located adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico. The northern half of the field was mowed, whereas the southern half of the field was not. The pilot reported to the FAA inspector that he felt like the airplane's engine was not producing full power. The airplane neared the end of the field where it contacted a two-foot embankment with its tail wheel and nosed over inverted into water. The pilot reported that he left the carburetor heat in the ON position during takeoff. He also reported that he took off with a "slight tailwind." At the time of the accident, a nearby weather observation facility reported the wind from the northwest at 8 knots.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.