Cessna 172 N43860

Summary

On 15 July 2002 at about 18:00 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N43860 was involved in an accident near Barre, Vermont, 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

15 July 2002 at 18:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Barre, Vermont, United States

Nearest airport

Bailey Field (NONE)

Coordinates

44.2000, -72.5000

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N43860

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Montpelier → Barre

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

IAD02LA077

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during a go-around attempt, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and a subsequent impact with trees. A factor was the pilot's delayed initiation of the go-around.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot decided to practice a simulated engine failure, to a landing, at a private airstrip. The airstrip was oriented east-west, with an uphill incline toward the east. The strip was 1,200 feet long and 50 feet wide, and takeoffs and landings could only be made to the east. According to the pilot, he performed a circling descent and prepared for a landing to the east. During the landing flare, the airplane was "pushed toward the trees" at the departure end of the runway, by a "quartering tailwind." The pilot initiated a go-around, but the airplane did not have enough airspeed to maintain flight, and it "stalled" into the trees. Winds were from 260 degrees at 3 knots.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.