Cessna 172 N8880V

Summary

On 14 February 2004 at about 01:40 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N8880V was involved in an accident near West Dover, Vermont, United States. 2 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

14 February 2004 at 01:40

Classification

Accident

Location

West Dover, Vermont, United States

Nearest airport

Mount Snow Airport (4V8)

Coordinates

42.9272, -72.8656

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N8880V

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hartford → West Dover

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

NYC04CA072

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control, and his failure to perform a go-around. Factors were wind gusts and the pilot's lack of flight experience.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Prior to takeoff, the pilot received a weather briefing from a flight service station, which included a forecast of calm winds at the departure and destination airport. While on the downwind leg for runway 19 at the destination airport, the airplane encountered turbulence, which increased as the airplane turned onto base leg. The wind forced the airplane into a descending right turn attitude. The pilot contemplated a go-around, but thought that it may not be completed successfully under the wind conditions. The pilot subsequently continued the approach and touched down about 700 feet beyond the approach end of the 2,650-foot long, 75-foot wide, asphalt runway. However, the airplane bounced, traveled off the end of the runway, and came to rest inverted in the snow. The pilot reported a total flight experience of approximately 86 hours; of which, about 11 hours were at night. Prior to the accident flight, the pilot had not flown to the destination airport, which was located in mountainous terrain. The reported wind at an airport approximately 17 miles west of the accident site, about the time of the accident, was from 220 degrees at 3 knots. The reported wind at an airport approximately 35 miles north of the accident site, about the time of the accident, was from 270 degrees at 15 knots, gusting to 24 knots.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.