Cessna 172N N73747

Summary

On 10 July 2005 at about 18:37 local time, a Cessna 172N registered N73747, operated by Greenville Aviation, was involved in an accident near Penrose, North Carolina, United States. 2 people were on board and one died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 July 2005 at 18:37

Classification

Accident

Location

Penrose, North Carolina, United States

Coordinates

35.2742, -82.6403

Aircraft

Cessna 172N

Registration

N73747

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Greenville Aviation

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Brevard → Greenville

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL05FA128

1 person died.

A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to use the full length of the runway for takeoff, and the inadvertent stall.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The passenger stated the pilot conducted a preflight inspection and an engine run up before departing Transylvania County Airport and no deficiencies were noted. The pilot did not use the entire length of the runway for takeoff and the airplane lost power after takeoff. The runway is 2,903 feet in length. Review of performance data revealed the airplane would have a ground roll of 870 feet. A witness observed the airplane on its takeoff roll. He said the airplane was about one third down the runway and did not seem to be going very fast, nor did it sound like the airplane was developing full power. The witness turned around, looked back towards the departure end of the runway and the airplane had disappeared from view. The witness then observed black smoke off the departure end of the runway. Another witness stated she heard an airplane approaching her location. The engine sounded like it was at a low rpm, which she attributed to the sound being masked by the terrain. The airplane came into view and was observed at a low altitude in a steep nose down left turn with the left wing perpendicular to the ground. Examination of the crash site revealed a scar was present on the ground and extended 23 feet 10 inches long. Pieces of the left red and white forward wing tip and left red navigation light were located in the ground scar. One propeller blade strike and a red and white paint transfer were located on a road 27 feet down the crash debris line. The left wing was pushed aft and separated. The left wing was bent upward at a 90-degree angle 9 feet 6-inches outboard of the wing root and accordion crushing was located on the leading edge of the wing and wing skin. The right wing was separated at the wing root and was located forward of the left wing. No anomalies were noted with the airframe, flight controls, or engine assembly and accessories.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.