Cessna 172K N78211

Summary

On 9 October 2004 at about 12:59 local time, a Cessna 172K registered N78211 was involved in an accident near Knoxville, Tennessee, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

9 October 2004 at 12:59

Classification

Accident

Location

Knoxville, Tennessee, United States

Nearest airport

Sky Ranch Airport (TN98)

Coordinates

35.8856, -83.9575

Aircraft

Cessna 172K

Registration

N78211

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Knoxville → Knoxville

Aircraft damage

Not recorded

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL05CA002

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed on initial take off climb resulted in an inadvertent stall and an uncontrolled descent into the ground.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The student pilot stated he was on initial take off climb and the airplane wanted to turn to the left. He put in a correction and the airplane started another turn to the left. He thought the airplane might collide with a hangar off the left side of the runway so he lowered the nose and applied aft pressure on the control yoke. The student pilot stated, "he could not remember anything after applying the rear pressure on the control yoke." When asked if he experienced any mechanical problems with the airplane or his seat, he stated no. A witness stated he observed an airplane on take off from the airport. The airplane was about 200 feet in a climb attitude. He estimated the nose of the airplane to be in a 30-degree nose high attitude and the airspeed was described as slow. The airplane made a hard turn to the left and the nose of the airplane pitched down. Examination of the airplane revealed the left wing tip was missing and the wing was bent up and aft. The upper and lower left wing skins were twisted and compressed, and the left inboard flap was wedged into the left side of the fuselage. The right wing was accelerated forward and the right wing tip was bent upward. The right flap was damaged and had collided with a hangar post. The flight controls were connected and continuity was confirmed between the flight controls and control surfaces. The engine and propeller assembly remained attached to the airframe and no anomalies were noted. The Cessna 172 Owner's Manual states at 2,300 pounds gross weight with the flaps at 10-degrees and a 20-degree angle of bank the airplane will stall at 54 calibrated airspeed (CAS.) With a 40-degree bank the airplane will stall at 59 CAS and with a 60-degree bank the airplane will stall at 74 CAS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.