Cessna 175A N6902E

Summary

On 7 June 2003 at about 20:45 local time, a Cessna 175A registered N6902E was involved in an accident near Ash Fork, Arizona, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

7 June 2003 at 20:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Ash Fork, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Private (PVT)

Coordinates

35.2833, -112.7000

Aircraft

Cessna 175A

Registration

N6902E

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Ash Fork → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX03LA185

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's failure to attain and maintain an adequate airspeed, which resulted in a stall mush condition. Factors were the loose and uneven dirt runway surface, the known tailwind with gusts, and high density altitude.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot collided with trees during the takeoff initial climb. When the pilot departed runway 2 with full fuel and retracted flaps, he was aware of a quartering tailwind he believed to be around 10 knots. The normal procedure was to depart to the north, due to the downward sloping runway. He flew in and out of the airstrip regularly and did not find the current weather conditions unusual. In the past, the pilot calculated the takeoff distance many times, and usually required about 900 feet to rotate. He could not remember if he had performed any takeoff calculations using the weather and airplane conditions immediately prior to the accident. The trees that the airplane collided with were located about 60 feet from the north end of the runway and were approximately 12 feet tall. Due to the slope of the terrain, the treetops were at the runway elevation. The runway was described as being in "poor condition." Density altitude was about 9,800 feet msl. No mechanical problems were noted with the airplane prior to the accident. The pilot stated that future accidents could be prevented by not departing from short airstrips with a tailwind.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.