Cessna 172S N778LP

Summary

On 21 May 2005 at about 17:32 local time, a Cessna 172S registered N778LP, operated by Air Fleet Training Systems Inc., was involved in an accident near Brooklyn, New York, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 May 2005 at 17:32

Classification

Accident

Location

Brooklyn, New York, United States

Coordinates

40.5722, -73.9811

Aircraft

Cessna 172S

Registration

N778LP

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Air Fleet Training Systems Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Linden → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

IAD05FA067

4 people died.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and subsequent impact with terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

After departing on an instructional flight, the instructor and three passengers were fatally injured when the airplane impacted terrain while maneuvering along a beach. Radar data showed the accident flight at 300 feet and at a ground speed of 60 knots just prior to the accident. This was correlated by witness statements that the airplane was observed to be at a low altitude prior to descending in a nose down attitude and impacting the ground. No preimpact malfunctions of the airplane were discovered and the flaps were in the 30-degree position. A review of the accident flight's weight and balance information revealed that the flight was flown in an overweight condition. According to the manufacturer's information manual for the airplane, at the maximum certificated takeoff weight, an altitude loss during a stall recovery could be as much as 230 feet. At the 30-degree wing flap position, published stall speeds for the airplane ranged from 40 knots at 0 degrees of bank to 57 knots at 60 degrees of bank.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.